A man has been arrested in Koh Kong province over the brutal murder of a woman in Kampot province last week, police officials said yesterday.
Details of who the suspect was and when he would be charged, however, could not be provided by court and police officials contacted yesterday.
Police believe Leng Thai, a farmer, was killed sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Her bloody body was discovered in a rice field 100 meters behind her house in Kompong Trach district.
Police said last week that Ms Thai, whose head was nearly severed in the attack, had been the victim of a rape attempt before her death.
Yesterday, deputy Kampot province police chief In Chiva said that Koh Kong provincial police had arrested the rape suspect and five others, before sending them back to Kampot on Friday.
“We investigated and we got the hint that the suspects had fled to Koh Kong, so we contacted the police in Koh Kong to arrest them,” Mr Chiva said, adding that the five other men were subsequently released by police.
He said he did not know the name of the suspect who was still being held by provincial police.
“Only five were released. The one male suspect is still being kept,” he said.
Kampot Provincial Court prosecutor Chum Somban said the suspect was accused of the murder, but did not know if he had been charged yet.
Mr Somban added that the other five men who were arrested by Koh Kong provincial police on Friday had been released because they were not involved in the case.
Other provincial court officials could not be reached yesterday.
Kampot province serious crimes police chief Kong Sokhorn, however, said all six suspects had been released, contradicting other police officials.
He said the investigation into the case would continue.
“We arrested them because they were absent from the village after the night of the killing,” Mr Sokhorn said. “We are investigating the case still. When I arrest the suspect I will inform you.”
