The wife of slain journalist Taing Try filed a complaint with the Kratie Provincial Court on Tuesday urging judicial officials to bring charges against two more men, including a local military police chief, for her husband’s murder on Sunday.
The court has already arrested and charged three men for the murder, all of them members of the state security forces. Police say the men confessed to killing Taing Try during a night of drinking, after the reporter threatened to expose their illegal logging operation when they refused to lend him a boat earlier in the day.
Taing Try’s wife, Chhoem Mom, said Wednesday that she filed a complaint with the court on Tuesday asking it to also arrest and press charges against Snuol district military police commander Chhun Khoeun and his older brother, Chhun Hoeun, a local timber dealer.
“Both Chhun Khoeun and his older brother, Chhun Hoeun, conspired with the three suspects who killed my husband,” she said.
Ty Sovinthal, prosecutor of the provincial court, confirmed that he received the complaint and said he passed it to one of his deputies to pursue.
Ms. Mom’s allegations against Mr. Khoeun and Mr. Hoeun stem from claims made by a group of local journalists with whom Taing Try was working on the day of his murder.
On Monday, Raksmey Kon Khmer editor-in-chief Chea Lyhieng said he was with Taing Try shortly before he died and that the three arrested suspects were part of an illegal logging syndicate led by Mr. Khoeun and Mr. Hoeun. He said the group of reporters went to observe the comings and goings at Mr. Hoeun’s timber warehouse the night of the murder and received a phone call from Mr. Khoeun warning them to stay away.
Neither Mr. Khoeun nor Mr. Hoeun could be reached for comment Wednesday. On Monday, Mr. Khoeun said he had nothing to do with the case and denied making the alleged phone call.
Provincial military police officials could not be reached. National military police spokesman Kheng Tito declined to comment.
Hean Cheavkun, a provincial monitor for rights group Adhoc, said she had helped Ms. Mom draft the court complaint and that the organization was currently helping her find a lawyer.
