A chicken seller was arrested Thursday morning for chaining a teenager, who he accused of trying to steal two chickens, to his house for several hours in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, police said.
Prek Pnov district police chief Ros Engsitha said that Sok Samao, 30, had caught the would-be thief holding two chickens on his property in Prek Pnov commune at about 6 a.m.
“A young chicken thief, Pov Lihour, 15, was tied up with a heavy chain for a few hours before the man released him after taking his photo,” he said, adding that the boy’s grandmother filed a complaint to police.
“We arrested Samao because he…tortured the thief by tying him to a pillar beneath his house with an 11-kg chain,” Mr. Engsitha said.
Mr. Samao was sent to the municipal court at noon for questioning, but was not charged Thursday, according to the police chief.
Under Article 87 of the criminal procedure code, a citizen may detain another citizen in the case of a flagrant felony or misdemeanor, but must immediately bring the offender to the nearest police officer.
