Thursday, 5 August 2010

Three injured by cop charged with battery


via Khmer NZ

Wednesday, 04 August 2010 15:03 Chrann Chamroeun

PHNOM Penh Municipal Court has charged three people injured by a police officer in a shooting spree last month with intentional battery, a court official said yesterday.

On July 20, Vong Saneath, a police officer in Sen Sok district’s Khmounh commune, allegedly opened fire on a family with an AK-47 following an argument. Long Hun, 47, was killed at the scene, and his son Long Lyheng, 17, died on the way to Calmette Hospital.

Long Hun’s wife, 42-year-old Uo Soy, and his nephew and brother-in-law were wounded in the spree, which prompted the court to file intentional murder charges against the officer.

Investigating judge Sin Visal said the three injured victims had been charged with intentional battery, and that they had been called to answer questions at the court on August 10.

“We have issued the summons letters ordering the three people to show up for interrogations after we charged them with intentional battery,” he said. He declined to elaborate on the charges.

Mak Hong, the police chief in Sen Sok district, said last month that Vong Saneath, who is in pre-trial detention, had confessed to the shooting, but said he opened fire in self-defence.

“The accused said he could’ve died if he was not wearing a helmet, because [the family] threw an axe at his head,” Mak Hong said at the time.

“He claimed they knocked his wife and son to the ground. Because he was angry, he said he took out his AK-47 and opened fire on them.”

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