The body of Judge Sok Sethamony was cremated at Wat Botum Vatey on Sunday, four days after he was killed by two gunmen who fired into his four-wheel drive vehicle as he sat at the intersection of Sihanouk Boulevard and Street 63.
No suspects have been named in the killing, the third attack on a court official this month, but an investigation continues, said Municipal Judicial Police Chief Heng Pov. “This investigation should not proceed fast because there are a lot of complicated issues to resolve,” he said.
More than 100 people joined the cremation ceremony on Sunday, marching from the Municipal Court, where Sok Sethamony’s body had been preserved for memorial services, to Wat Botum near the National Assembly. King Norodom Sihanouk was among those who paid respects to the assassinated judge, sending Minister of the Palace Kong Som Ol with a $1,000 gift to help the judge’s family pay for the funeral.
None of the court officials attending Sunday’s cremation would comment on the judge’s death or the investigation that has so far failed to find those responsible for the attack; some of the municipal court officials said only that they are concerned about their own safety.
Sok Sethamony is the second court official killed this month. Appeals Court clerk Chhim Dara was shot to death in Russei Keo district earlier this month. Prosecutor Ngeth Sarath was shot at and attacked by two men this month as well.
Sok Sethamony was well known in Phnom Penh for presiding over high-profile cases, such as the Cambodian Freedom Fighters trials, and was rumored to be among a handful of Cambodian judges who would have been considered for a Khmer Rouge war crimes tribunal, if such a tribunal is held.
