The military police lieutenant colonel and Interior Ministry police colonel shot to death in Sunday evening’s shooting in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district were laid to rest on Monday and Tuesday, police and family said.
Authorities also sent suspects Hor Sok Heng, 27, and Lay Piseth, 30, to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning Tuesday, said a municipal police officer who requested anonymity.
Municipal police on Monday transferred two handguns, a Mercedes S320 and a Mitsubishi Pajero to the court, the officer said. Court officials could not be reached for comment and senior police officials have declined to comment.
Police and witnesses said Sunday that the black Mercedes carrying municipal military police deputy commander Reth Nika, 24, had fled down Norodom Boulevard. Cornered in traffic on Street 178, the lieutenant colonel fled on foot and was gunned down inside Wat Saravorn.
An uncle of Reth Nika who asked not to be named said that Reth Nika was buried Monday at Wat Kdey Lvea in Kompong Speu province. Reth Nika was the nephew of Seng Teang, an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen, the uncle said, adding that Reth Nika’s late father Nhiek Sareth, had been a senior Interior Ministry officer.
Information Minister Khieu Kanharith could not be reached and Hun Sen’s assistant Eang Sophalleth referred questions to the premier’s adviser Srey Thammarong, who could not be reached.
Roth Channosody, a 27-year-old colonel in the Interior Ministry’s logistics department, who died from a gunshot wound sustained during Sunday’s attack, was buried Tuesday at Wat Angkot Borey in Russei Keo district, a Toek Thla commune police officer said.
A police report claimed Monday that Roth Channosody was among the group that attacked Reth Nika. Municipal police chief Touch Naruth, national military police commander Sao Sokha and municipal military police commander Ya Kim Y could not be reached for comment.
(Additional reporting by Douglas Gillison)
