The Phnom Penh Municipal Court questioned former city police chief Heng Pov yesterday as a witness in the case of former municipal anti-drug police chief Touch Muysor, who is accused of illegal drug possession and taking bribes, lawyers involved in the case said.
Currently serving a decades-long sentence for crimes including murder, Mr Pov was called to give evidence about Mr Muysor, who served as Mr Pov’s subordinate until the latter was arrested in 2006 for a string of serious crimes.
Mr Muysor, the city’s anti-drug police chief, was arrested in October and suspended from duty on suspicion of possessing amphetamine pills and accepting bribes from drug dealers in return for letting them go free.
Kao Soupha, Mr Pov’s lawyer, said his client did not pay any money to Mr Muysor and was unaware that he had kept drugs in his office.
“The court is confused for questioning my client in relation to this case,” he said.
Mr Muysor is accused of accepting bribes for the release of several alleged drug dealers including one female dealer by the name of Lam Sokha.
Mr Soupha said that Mr Pov did not know Ms Sokha. During yesterday’s questioning, Ms Sokha supported this claim by saying she did not know Mr Pov either, he added.
Mr Muysor’s lawyer, Chea Hey, said by telephone yesterday that his client’s charges of illegal possession of drugs were false as he had already informed high-ranking police officials about the drugs inside his office.
“He informed police officials and did not transport the drugs anywhere,” he said.
Mr Hey also denied that his client had accepted any illicit payments from Mr Pov during his time as anti-drug police chief.
“He accepted money from Heng Pov but only as a bonus as they had some success in cracking down on crimes,” he said.
He added that his client had kept the drugs in his office for more than five years and could have sold them at any time if he had really wanted to.
