Shot actress asks for truce on lawsuits

via CAAI

Monday, 08 November 2010 15:03 Mom Kunthear

AN actress who was shot in the arm during a film crew party last month said she will drop her charges against the military police officials who caused her injury if assault charges against her four friends were also dropped.

Sveng Socheata, 30, was accidentally shot while officials attempted to break-up a post-shoot party that had turned loud and disruptive. Two officers were wounded, while four of the actress’s friends were arrested and charged with assault for their role in the altercation.

“If the officials withdraw the complaints against my friends who were arrested and charged, then I will not sue them,” said Sveng Socheata.

“But if they don’t withdraw the complaints, I will file complaints against the military police involved.”

Nhem Sila, deputy military police chief of Siem Reap province, said the behaviour of the actress’s friends was reckless, and that charges wouldn’t be dropped.

“The police did not fight them,” said Nhem Sila. “They fought us until two military police officials were seriously injured.”

The police chief said that Sveng Socheata’s attempt to bargain on her friends’ behalf was “like a kid’s idea”.

The actress said some of the blame for the altercation should go to Bich Savin, the owner of Seven Productions, the production company that is overseeing the film project, since he was the one who called police to complain about the party.

“I wasn’t the one who caused any problems; it was the production owner who called the police,” said Sveng Socheata. “This all happened because of him.”

The actress has threatened to sue Bich Savin, who has said that he would file a counter-lawsuit if that happened.

Sveng Socheata is currently recovering at a private clinic in Siem Reap province and underwent surgery yesterday. She said that she was still unable to move her arm, and that the film had been put on hiatus until the issues are resolved.