Three police officers were arrested yesterday morning after allegedly threatening employees at a Chamkar Mon district massage parlor with hand guns and invoking the name of the son of Phnom Penh police chief Touch Naruth, according to police.
Phnom Penh minor crimes deputy police chief Teng Chansar said the apparently intoxicated trio arrived at La Cigale Bleue massage parlor at approximately 2 am and pointed their service weapons at the employees demanding that they do whatever they were ordered to. He said one of the men also claimed to be Mr Naruth’s son, using his nickname “Pich.”
According to Mr Chansar, two of the parlor employees immediately ran outside to seek help from the establishment’s security guards, who called police.
“They made them run out of the massage room to get help,” he said. “Now [the three officers] are being interrogated to find out who used the name of the Phnom Penh municipal police chief’s son.”
Mr Chansar said the men fired no shots and proceeded to fall asleep inside the parlor, where they were found and arrested at 10 am.
He identified the men as Vong Chanra, 46, a bodyguard with the Interior Ministry, Mom Kunthel, 32, a police officer with the Interior Ministry’s penal department, and Hun Mariroth, 30, an immigration police officer for Preah Sihanouk province. He said all three were being detained at the minor crimes police station.
“We are investigating this case to find out who used my son’s name to threaten the massage women last night. Now there are two witnesses who agreed to speak with our investigators,” said Mr Naruth, who explained that his son was presently in Vietnam.
“My son is studying in Hanoi for three months, so these three policemen’s actions have damage my dignity,” he said.
Chamkar Mon district police chief Ouch Sokhon said his officers were assisting with the investigation but referred all questions to Phnom Penh minor crimes police chief Sorn Ly, who referred questions to his deputy, Mr Chansar.
