A security guard arrested Wednesday for the alleged murder of a Malaysian businessman and his Cambodian maid at their Phnom Penh home confessed to the crime on Thursday night, police claimed on Friday.
According to Ouch Sokhon, Chamkar Mon district police chief, the suspect, Nop Tiro, 22, confessed to killing both the businessman, 71-year-old Lem Thiang Ang as well as Hem Maly, 65, early on Wednesday morning. Both were killed in what police at the time called a botched robbery attempt. Mr Thiang Ang was stabbed in the stomach, and Ms Maly died after being beaten on the head with a stick.
Mr Sokhon said that the suspect also received injuries, including a stab to the stomach and a hit on the head, but the police chief suggested that they were inflicted by the victims as they fought back during the attempted robbery.
“He was injured when he fought with the victim,” Mr Sokhon added.
Police noted, however, there were some inconsistencies even in the suspect’s confession.
Pol Phiethey, Phnom Penh municipality deputy police chief, said the suspect didn’t confess to an attempted robbery, which police had previously pegged as the motive for the double killing as a safe had been dragged to the front of the house, where it was abandoned after it couldn’t be opened by the assailant or assailants, according to the police report.
“He confessed that he committed the crime as an act of revenge, but the field investigation at the scene proved it was robbery,” Mr Phiethey said.
Similarly, added Mr Phiethey, the suspect confessed to committing the crime alone, but the initial investigation suggested there had been three men involved. Despite the suspect’s claim, said Mr Phiethey, police are still examining whether there were others involved.
Mr Phiethey said the body of the Malaysian man had been released to the Malaysian Embassy, which could not be reached for comment on Friday.
Hel Samnang, a longtime supervisor at Karasan Equipment Co Ltd, the company that was owned by the victim, said that officials at the company have filed a complaint to the police over the killing of their employer. He said he hoped the suspect would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“We would like the court to prosecute the suspect fully to warn other people not to follow [his actions],” he said. Police said the suspect will be sent to court on Saturday.
