Man charged in NagaWorld murder

via CAAI

Wednesday, 24 November 2010 15:01 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court charged a Chinese national with being an accomplice in the murder of another Chinese man in NagaWorld Hotel and Casino last week.

Kom Sam Ath, a police officer with the National Security Department at the Ministry of Interior, said the suspect, 44-year-old He Ming Chai, was arrested on Monday following the murder of his friend Zoujian Chang, 44.

The victim’s body was discovered by a cleaner in the room the victim was staying at on Friday.

He said the suspect has denied murdering the victim, claiming that a third Chinese man Wu Wenshing and an unknown Cambodian man were responsible.

“[He Ming Chai said] Zoujian Chang borrowed US$3,000 from Wu Wenshing over several days to gamble at NagaWorld, but he escaped and refused to return the money,” Kom Sam Ath said. “So Wu got angry and went to kill Zoujian Chang at his hotel room.”

Phnom Penh Deputy police chief Pen Rath said He Ming Chai was officially charged with being an accomplice to murder.

“He was charged with accomplice to murder a day after his arrest,” he said. “He has now been sent to Prey Sar prison for further investigation.”

Kong Sam Ath said the suspect had entered Cambodia as a tourist in 2006 and later gained employment at the E Zang Garment factory in Phnom Penh.

He added that police are “now working hard to seek the arrest of the other suspects in order to bring them to justice”.