Six robbery suspects to serve total of 49 years

via CAAI

Tuesday, 30 November 2010 15:01 Buth Reaksmey Kongkea

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court yesterday handed down verdicts against six men in four separate cases of robbery and possession of illegal weapons, with the suspects set to serve a combined 49 years in prison.

Chhay Ara, Nou Sotheara and Chhim Visal, all 21, were arrested in September in connection with motorbike and necklace robberies in Sen Sok district’s Teuk Thla commune in September.

All three were found guilty of possessing illegal weapons and robbery and sentenced to seven years each in prison.

Hem Daro was arrested in May and charged with the theft of a necklace, and was also sentenced to seven years.

Say Mony, 41, was arrested in December last year and charged with two cases of motorbike robbery, and sentenced yesterday to 14 years, while Chet Yorn was arrested and charged in September for stealing a motorbike and sentenced to seven years.

But in a separate case also heard yesterday, presiding judge Ker Sakhorn ordered the reinvestigation of the case against Kheng Pov, 21, who was arrested in October last year in Kandal province’s Ksach Kandal district in connection with the robbery of a motorbike taxi driver.

Police said a separate driver was wounded after the suspect allegedly shot him several times in the leg when he came to the victim’s defence. Kheng Pov was found guilty of robbery and sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this year.

With the suspect facing attempted murder and illegal weapons charges in relation to the same crime yesterday, judge Ker Sakhorn ordered the case to be reinvestigated but failed to give a reason for the decision.

Kheng Pov’s mother Pheng Kim Hourn, 53, said she was happy with the court’s decision.

“I hope that he will receive his fair judgment and sentence,” she said.