A man who burned down an unused school building in Pursat province while drunk on Sunday was questioned by the provincial court Tuesday, police said.
Moeun Kosal, 25, was arrested by Phnom Kravanh district police on Monday morning after he told police he drunkenly burned down O’Priel primary school in Samraong commune on Sunday evening, said district police chief Vorng Savet.
Mr. Kosal said he feared for the safety of the children who played in the abandoned school and decided to burn it down to prevent them from getting injured in the event that the roof on the nearly 30-year-old building collapsed, according to Mr. Savet.
“Mr. Kosal confessed to police that he drank too much and lost control,” Mr. Savet said.
“[He] told me that he burned the school because he was afraid the roof or some part of the wood on the roof would fall on the kids,” he said, adding that if Mr. Kosal had a valid concern for the safety of the children, he should have contacted relevant authorities.
Mr. Kosal was questioned Tuesday by the provincial prosecutor and is scheduled to go before an investigating judge for further questioning today, Mr. Savet said.
