The Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court on Tuesday released a group of five Indonesian sailors accused of beating a Cambodian man during a drunken brawl at a local nightclub while on shore leave.
“The court ordered them to be released this morning because they paid compensation” of $220 to the victim, deputy provincial military police chief Keo Sophal said.
Mr. Sophal said the sailors were part of the crew of a cargo ship docked in Sihanoukville and were arrested early Sunday morning after a fight at the LV club.
“They went clubbing to have some fun, got into an argument and it turned violent,” he said.
Court spokesman Huot Vichet said one of the sailors was charged with intentional violence before being released. He said the other four were not charged “because the prosecutor could not find any criminal involvement,” and declined to comment further.
The court’s head secretary, Yim Bunnareth, said he did not know if the man who had been charged, Heru Okatavian, 28, was allowed to leave the country.
