By Saing Soenthrith
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Twelve pre-trial detainees, including a former municipal police official charged with killing a judge in 2003, cut through the bars of their Prey Sar prison cell at about 2 am on Sunday morning and escaped, officials said.
The 12 men, including former municipal criminal section deputy police chief Hang Vuthy, bound and gagged five of their cellmates before breaking out, said Mao Sophearum, an assistant to Kuy Bunsom, the Interior Ministry's prison director.
"All were accused of criminal acts, some of robbery or murder, but were being detained prior to trial," he said.
Hang Vuthy was charged in February along with two other police officers for the April 2003 intentional killing of Municipal Court judge Sok Sethamony. Hang Vuthy was one of 10 police officers arrested within two weeks of Heng Pov being removed from his position of municipal police chief. Some of those arrested were known to be Heng Pov loyalists.
"We have to investigate this because it’s very unusual for 12 suspects to break out of jail," said Mok Chito, deputy chief of the Interior Ministry's Penal Police Department. "Our investigators are on orders from high up."
Chan Soveth, an investigator with local rights group Adhoc, said the men escaped from a second-floor cell.
"According to five other inmates, [the escapees] had four meat cleavers," which had been smuggled in and which they used to cut the bars, he said. "The electricity was cut off at 10 pm and the guards were careless so this is an unusual case."
The 12 men, including former municipal criminal section deputy police chief Hang Vuthy, bound and gagged five of their cellmates before breaking out, said Mao Sophearum, an assistant to Kuy Bunsom, the Interior Ministry's prison director.
"All were accused of criminal acts, some of robbery or murder, but were being detained prior to trial," he said.
Hang Vuthy was charged in February along with two other police officers for the April 2003 intentional killing of Municipal Court judge Sok Sethamony. Hang Vuthy was one of 10 police officers arrested within two weeks of Heng Pov being removed from his position of municipal police chief. Some of those arrested were known to be Heng Pov loyalists.
"We have to investigate this because it’s very unusual for 12 suspects to break out of jail," said Mok Chito, deputy chief of the Interior Ministry's Penal Police Department. "Our investigators are on orders from high up."
Chan Soveth, an investigator with local rights group Adhoc, said the men escaped from a second-floor cell.
"According to five other inmates, [the escapees] had four meat cleavers," which had been smuggled in and which they used to cut the bars, he said. "The electricity was cut off at 10 pm and the guards were careless so this is an unusual case."
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