A month after three police officers allegedly beat two men in Kandal province—one of whom died the following day—authorities say they are moving toward bringing in the accused men, one summons at a time.
An official police report naming the officers as suspects in the beating has been lodged with the provincial court, and the court prosecutor said on Thursday that he would issue an order to appear—the last step before an arrest warrant—next week if the officers did not show up for questioning.
In a report delivered to the provincial court early this month, police concluded that the Sa’ang district officers were among a group of people that beat Tith Leap and Chamroeun Seyha after a roadside shouting match, district police chief Seng Socheat said on Thursday.
Today marks four weeks since Mr. Leap, 22, and his brother-in-law Chamroeun Seyha, 26, were beaten on the street. Mr. Leap says they were beaten more severely at the district police station after being detained over a traffic dispute with district officer Chhay Sina, who is among the suspects.
Chamroeun Seyha died on October 22, the day after the two men were released. Local residents said the men left custody in far worse physical condition than when they were arrested.
The suspected officers—Mr. Sina, Pheakdey Vitou and Kheang Sok Theng—have not shown up to work since the incident, police said.
Provincial court prosecutor Lim Sokuntha said on Thursday that he would issue a warrant for the officers if they did not heed the summons.
“The court will issue the warrant for all people involved in this case to appear for questioning at the beginning of next week,” he said.
Khuon Sreymom, the wife of Chamroeun Seyha, said the family sought $65,000 in compensation from the officers, adding that Mr. Leap was still receiving daily treatment.
“I am a garment worker and after my husband died, it’s difficult to find money to feed my family,” she said on Thursday. “The court should speed up procedures to find justice for my husband and my brother.”
