12 September 2007By Sachak
Sralanh Khmer Newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
It was learnt that the cause of the shooting between the scions of the powerful on Sunday evening, was due to a woman dispute. The woman in question is the daughter of Kov Samuth (Bun Rany’s brother-in-law), the niece of Mrs. Bun Rany Hun Sen.
27-year-old Reth Nika, the deputy military police commander of Phnom Penh city and the nephew of Seng Tieng, the aid of prime minister Hun Sen, was shot by a group of 7 armed men belonging to 27-year-old Roth Chansonody, a police officer of the Minister of Interior and son-in-law of Kov Samuth, who died on the day of the incident after he was seriously injured by bullets and he could not be taken to Calmette Hospital on time.
A source indicated that Reth Nika was in love with the daughter of Kov Samuth for a long time, however, Roth Chansonody asked her hand for marriage first. The source indicated that even after her wedding, Kov Samuth’s daughter still keep contact with Reth Nika, this then caused Roth Chansonody to become jealous.
Phnom Penh military police officers said Lieutenant Colonel Reth Nika was the nephew of Seng Tieng, the special advisor of Hun Sen. He was shot 5 times by the gang belonging to Colonel Roth Chansonody, and he died on the spot. In turn, Roth Chansonody, Kov Samuth’s son-in-law and Bun Rany Hun Sen’s nephew-in-law, was shot by Reth Nika’s gang and he also died.
The event took place on Sunday evening along Street No. 178, north of Wat Phnom. Near the Saravoan Decho pagoda, Chey Chomneah commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh city, and it was filled with Hollywood-move-style car chase and street shooting. Eyewitnesses of the event trembled with fear.
An eyewitness said that about 10 bullets were exchanged between both sides against each other at 6:00 PM on 09 September 2007, when Reth Nika was trying to flee out his black Mercedes car during a traffic jam at the incident location. An eyewitness said that 2 armed men among a group of 7 people, got out of a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV which rear-ended Reth Nika’s Mercedes. The two men then chased after the fleeing Reth Nika and shot him 5 times inside the pagoda, hitting him in the head, his right hand, and both of his legs.
Roth Chansonody told a doctor before he died that the shooting stems from a dispute about women and not from car accident.
People living along Street No. 178 who witnessed the shooting said that, at the incident location, the traffic was jammed. An eyewitness said that about 10 people in a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV rear-ended the Mercedes car three times. An anonymous source said that armed men got out of the Pajero SUV and shot the windows of the Mercedes car three times, then the 3 passengers of the Mercedes got out of the car and fled into the nearby pagoda. The passengers in the Pajero SUV chased them and shot 5 more bullets. After the shooting, 2 men ran back to the Pajero SUV which took off on Norodom Boulevard. However, Roth Chansonody, Bun Rany Hun Sen’s nephew-in-law was seriously injured and was transported to the hospital where he died.
Even though the shooting in the middle of the capital took the lives of people from both gangs, the authority does not dare investigate this case because of the parents of the two dead men are powerful officials. What’s interesting in this case is the fact that both dead men were 27, there were both police officers, they both depend on Hun Sen’s power for their backing, they both died, and they both love the same woman.
27-year-old Reth Nika, the deputy military police commander of Phnom Penh city and the nephew of Seng Tieng, the aid of prime minister Hun Sen, was shot by a group of 7 armed men belonging to 27-year-old Roth Chansonody, a police officer of the Minister of Interior and son-in-law of Kov Samuth, who died on the day of the incident after he was seriously injured by bullets and he could not be taken to Calmette Hospital on time.
A source indicated that Reth Nika was in love with the daughter of Kov Samuth for a long time, however, Roth Chansonody asked her hand for marriage first. The source indicated that even after her wedding, Kov Samuth’s daughter still keep contact with Reth Nika, this then caused Roth Chansonody to become jealous.
Phnom Penh military police officers said Lieutenant Colonel Reth Nika was the nephew of Seng Tieng, the special advisor of Hun Sen. He was shot 5 times by the gang belonging to Colonel Roth Chansonody, and he died on the spot. In turn, Roth Chansonody, Kov Samuth’s son-in-law and Bun Rany Hun Sen’s nephew-in-law, was shot by Reth Nika’s gang and he also died.
The event took place on Sunday evening along Street No. 178, north of Wat Phnom. Near the Saravoan Decho pagoda, Chey Chomneah commune, Daun Penh district, Phnom Penh city, and it was filled with Hollywood-move-style car chase and street shooting. Eyewitnesses of the event trembled with fear.
An eyewitness said that about 10 bullets were exchanged between both sides against each other at 6:00 PM on 09 September 2007, when Reth Nika was trying to flee out his black Mercedes car during a traffic jam at the incident location. An eyewitness said that 2 armed men among a group of 7 people, got out of a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV which rear-ended Reth Nika’s Mercedes. The two men then chased after the fleeing Reth Nika and shot him 5 times inside the pagoda, hitting him in the head, his right hand, and both of his legs.
Roth Chansonody told a doctor before he died that the shooting stems from a dispute about women and not from car accident.
People living along Street No. 178 who witnessed the shooting said that, at the incident location, the traffic was jammed. An eyewitness said that about 10 people in a Mitsubishi Pajero SUV rear-ended the Mercedes car three times. An anonymous source said that armed men got out of the Pajero SUV and shot the windows of the Mercedes car three times, then the 3 passengers of the Mercedes got out of the car and fled into the nearby pagoda. The passengers in the Pajero SUV chased them and shot 5 more bullets. After the shooting, 2 men ran back to the Pajero SUV which took off on Norodom Boulevard. However, Roth Chansonody, Bun Rany Hun Sen’s nephew-in-law was seriously injured and was transported to the hospital where he died.
Even though the shooting in the middle of the capital took the lives of people from both gangs, the authority does not dare investigate this case because of the parents of the two dead men are powerful officials. What’s interesting in this case is the fact that both dead men were 27, there were both police officers, they both depend on Hun Sen’s power for their backing, they both died, and they both love the same woman.
