A police captain with the Ministry of Interior was shot dead in Kompong Cham province’s Choeung Prey district early yesterday morning in what authorities suspect was a revenge killing motivated by a business deal gone bad, district police chief Heng Vuthy said.
Yok Rathmany, 39, was shot six times inside his luxury Lexus 470 car at around 6 am and dumped on a dirt road in Soutip commune about 50 meters from National Road 6, Mr Vuthy said. The victim had been on his way to Kompong Thom province, where he was scheduled to meet a potential buyer of some land he wanted to sell, his wife told police.
“According to the first steps of our investigation, this is a criminal case that was well organized by the killers to murder the victim in revenge with their business,” Mr Vuthy said.
The victim worked as an anti-drug police officer in Kompong Cham province until he was transferred to the Ministry of Interior’s economic crimes police department two years ago, Kompong Cham Provincial Police Chief Nuon Samin said.
“The victim was lured by someone he knows, because the victim’s belongings are gone—his diamond bracelet, necklace and hundreds of dollars,” Mr Samin said. “This is the first reason our police suspect he was robbed by his partners.”
Police are also investigating the possibility that the murder could involve Mr Rathmany’s wife’s business concerns.
“The victim’s wife is a fruit vendor who imports from Vietnam to sell in Kompong Cham and Phnom Penh, so we suspect the murder may involve revenge for their business,” Mr Samin said.
Provincial police are cooperating with Interior Ministry police to find the killer or killers, Mr Samin said, adding that police have identified two possible suspects in the killing.
“Now our police are seeking them, but they have escaped from our province to other provinces,” he said.
