Saturday, December 23, 2006

Two Policemen Suspected in Shootings At Large: Officials

Friday, December 22, 2006

By Kuch Naren
THE CAMBODIA DAILY

"Police officers who shoot people dead
have never been arrested. I am hopeless."
—Neang Sovaih,
Kompong Cham
Provincial Adhoc Chief
Officers linked to two police shootings that human rights workers have described as suspicious remain at large, officials said Thursday.

Phnom Penh police said they are still looking for Nuth Cheatra, deputy police chief of Phsa Chas commune, who shot dead a 23-year-old man in October while attempting to pistol whip the inebriated victim with his handgun.

Phnom Penh police chief Touch Nanith said he received a petition Wednesday with hundreds of thumbprints of commune residents saying that though Nuth Cheatra killed a man, he should be reinstalled as he had done a lot to help residents.

"We have been waiting for him to come back to work because his family already compensated the victim's family," Touch Nanith said, adding that the victim's family had also thumbprinted the petition of support for the shooter.

Separately, Kompong Cham provincial police said they are still looking for police trainee Long Sopheak, 22, who shot dead Thoeng Thea, 27, an SRP councilor in Popel commune in early November.

Seng Sokim, deputy provincial police chief, said Kompong Cham Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for the shooter, who is the son of a local CPP deputy district governor.

The victim's family has not yet received compensation, he said.

"The suspect must be arrested," he said, adding that the victim's political affiliation to the SRP would not hamper the investigation.

But Neang Sovath, the chief of Adhoc's Kompong Cham provincial office, said police did not have a strong will to pursue the case.

"Police officers who shoot people dead have never been arrested," he said. "I am hopeless."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hooligans, thugs, and lawlessness. If higher officials can not set an example, what makes anything thinks a lower cop will obey the law? They know the higher ups are corrupt, so why should they obey?