A police officer who was detained after being accused of threatening to shoot a journalist in Pailin province was freed two months ago to attend a training course in another province, authorities said on Thursday.
Khea Sokhorn, a police officer in Sala Krao district, was arrested in early April following a court complaint from journalist Ouk Touch accusing the officer of threatening to shoot him for investigating claims that he had been firing his gun while drunk.
At the time, deputy provincial police chief Yim Sambath said Mr. Sokhorn had been shooting at a thief. However, district police chief Nhik Thol said his officer “was too drunk to control himself, so he fired his gun playfully.”
Authorities initially said Mr. Sokhorn would be held at the provincial police headquarters over the Khmer New Year holiday while they investigated the claims. On Thursday, however, Mr. Sambath said the officer was sent to neighboring Battambang province in mid-April for a training course with the court’s permission.
“We decided to send him to study at a regional school because he had already been assigned [to go] by the Ministry of Interior,” he said. “When his two-month training course is finished, we will have a meeting with the provincial police chief to decide whether to punish him. But right now, we need him to finish.”
The deputy chief said Mr. Sokhorn had been questioned by the court about the alleged threat but he did not know the results.
Provincial court chief prosecutor Chum Sen Sothea could not be reached on Thursday. Court spokesman Thol Kimhoeng confirmed that Mr. Sokhorn had been questioned but said he knew nothing else.
Mr. Touch, a reporter for the Kampuchea Aphivat newspaper and the online Chhantak Khmer News, has said Mr. Sokhorn came to his house and pointed an AK-47 assault rifle at him the day he investigated the shooting incident.
He said on Thursday that he was frustrated with the pace of the court’s investigation.
“It’s been more than two months and the court has not taken any action against the suspect. I think it’s not fair to me,” he said. “If they continue to do nothing, I will run an article to revive the story.”
