A newly re-elected SRP commune chief in Phnom Penh was questioned at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Thursday over allegations that he injured two people and destroyed their identity documents during October’s registration period, officials said.
Chhun Sovann and Long Phally, residents of Tuol Kok district’s Boeng Salang commune, first lodged a complaint with the court last year alleging that their commune chief, Touch Meng Sreang, had destroyed their identity documents and injured them when they tried to register to vote. The complaint does not specify how the couple was injured.
Touch Meng Sreang said at the courthouse Thursday that he barred the couple from registering to vote because he suspected they were Vietnamese nationals, but denied injuring them or destroying their documents.
Touch Meng Sreang said that he had tried to copy the couple’s identity documents at the commune office so that he could “investigate,” but that they snatched them back from him before fleeing.
Chhun Sovann and Long Phally could not be contacted for comment.
Municipal court Investigating Judge Ke Sakhorn could not be reached for comment on Thursday, but he said Wednesday that he had determined Chhun Sovann and Long Phally were Cambodian nationals.
Touch Meng Sreang, who had been summoned to court three times since October before appearing for questioning Thursday, said that the court would hear three witnesses testify today on his behalf.
