A commune police chief in Mondolkiri province has been demoted in rank and given three months on administrative duty after being arrested earlier this month for firing his state-issued AK-47 assault rifle into the air during a drunken dispute with his wife, police said on Thursday.
Ra Borith, 44, the former police chief in Pech Chreada district’s Sre Ampoum commune, was arrested on October 3 just a few hours after firing his rifle into the air to threaten his wife, according to deputy provincial police chief So Sovann.
“He didn’t deny that he shot the weapon, but he said he didn’t have the intention to shoot,” Mr. Sovann said.
The decision to demote Mr. Borith was made last week at a disciplinary committee meeting also attended by provincial police chief Touch Yun, Mr. Sovann said.
Mr. Sovann said Mr. Borith, who was drunk at the time of the incident, would do desk work under supervision at the provincial police station for at least three months, after which he would return to work in Sre Ampoum as a commune police officer.
