An RCAF paratrooper suspected of killing a factory union leader was sent to Prey Sar prison Wednesday, said police and Phnom Penh Municipal Court Judge Tan Senarong.
Khan Saveit, 22, also known as Chan Sopheak, was charged for the May 7 shooting of Free Trade Union organizer Ros Sovannareth, Tan Senarong said Wednesday.
Khan Saveit did not confess to the crime when questioned at the courthouse Tuesday, Tan Senarong said, adding the investigation will continue.
Witnesses at the time said two men on a motorbike pulled alongside Ros Sovannareth’s motorbike, shooting him several times at close range before speeding off.
No arrest warrant has been issued for the driver of the motorbike, Tan Senarong said.
Tuol Kok Deputy Police Chief Hun Song said Wednesday that he did not interrogate Khan Saveit before handing him over to Prey Sar prison officials.
He declined to say what evidence led police to the arrest.
Chea Mony, the newly elected FTU president and brother of his slain predecessor, Chea Vichea, voiced doubt Wednesday that police arrested the real killer.
“The police need to provide the evidence and find out who stands behind this case,” Chea Mony said.
The investigation into Chea Vichea’s Jan 22 death has yet to produce a conviction, but has provoked widespread allegations of police misconduct and executive interference in the courts.
