On the same day it entered murder charges against a 20-year-old Prey Veng province man, Phnom Penh’s Supreme Court Tuesday issued arrest warrants for the two men who authorities say helped him decapitate an estranged friend in a dispute over $30 and a prostitute.
The court arraigned Pouv Sam Art and issued warrants for Preap Choun, 21 and Mern Sa Rorn, 24, both of Svay Rieng province. The pair are wanted for the Feb 16 death of Kong Tay, 22, an ethnic Vietnamese fruit-truck driver who lived in Phnom Penh, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Nget Sarath said.
Authorities say Pouv Sam Art was angry with his roommate, Kong Tay, because Kong Tay had sex with his girlfriend, a prostitute, and had refused to lend Pouv Sam Art money.
The three men allegedly sneaked up on Kong Tay at his house. They beat him with a metal tool and slashed his throat with a knife before dragging him into the bathroom and fleeing with his mobile phone, authorities said.
Speaking to media Tuesday, Pouv Sam Art said he had sold the hand phone and divided the proceeds amongst his friends, before all three men split up. Pouv Sam Art fled to Prey Veng province, but came back to Phnom Penh to look for work, he said.
Phnom Penh police arrested him Saturday near Phsar Olympic, just after he returned to the capitol.
The other two suspects remained at large early Tuesday afternoon, police said.
