Military Policeman Shot Dead by Subordinate

A military police guard shot and killed his commander, Lieu­tenant Colonel Puth Sam Daleak, 38, on Tuesday afternoon outside of RCAF headquarters on Noro­dom Boulevard, witnesses said.

Heng Mony, a military police official who was standing guard at one of the compound’s gates, said he saw fellow officer Keo Sin­oeun, 26, fire 10 bullets from his AK-47 rifle into his commander’s Toyota four-wheel-drive vehicle at about 4 pm.

He said Keo Sinoeun then pulled Puth Sam Daleak’s bullet-ridden body from the vehicle and shot him several more times before speeding off on a hijacked motorbike, rifle slung over his shoulder.

The vehicle, with eight holes ripped through the driver’s door, rolled back into Norodom Boul­evard’s busy traffic.

According to Heng Mony, Keo Sinoeun had been caught sleeping while on guard duty Monday night and consequently called into Puth Sam Daleak’s office  Tues­day morning.

As Puth Sam Daleak left RCAF headquarters at noon Tuesday, Keo Sinoeun snapped to attention and saluted.

But when the commander re­turned at 4 pm, he rolled down his window and publicly reprimanded Keo Sinoeun for not having had his helmet on earlier.

Enraged, Keo Sinoeun killed him, military police said.

Phnom Penh Penal Police Chief Reach Sokhom said municipal police had cooperated with military police in their pursuit of Keo Sinoeun, but he escaped in Kan­dal province.

Ven Soven, Ang Snoul District Police chief in Kandal, said at 6:15 pm that the chase continued. Military police had found Keo Sinoeun’s stolen motorbike dumped in a pond and presumed he had continued on foot.

Related Stories

Latest News