Cambodian police said Monday they need information from Taiwan before looking into claims that a hit man who allegedly gunned down a Taipei city councilor last month was trained in assassination techniques in Cambodia.
Taiwanese police issued an arrest warrant for the alleged gunman, nicknamed “Ah Tai,” on Saturday in connection with the hit on councilor Chen Chin-Chi, who was shot at close range outside a Taipei restaurant on Nov 23, the China Post reported Saturday.
Ah Tai was a member of the Taiyang (Sun) gang and “had been to Cambodian three times to receive training as an assassin,” the Post quoted Taiwanese police as saying.
Cambodia’s Interior Ministry Headquarters Chief Mao Chandara said he was unaware of the killing or Ah Tai’s alleged links to Cambodia’s murky underworld.
Taiwan must make contact with Cambodian authorities if an investigation is to take place, Mao Chandara said.
“If the Taiwanese want to arrest that man, they need to cooperate with the Ministry of Interior. Until now I have no information about the killer,” he said.
Local and international police officials say Cambodia is a favored spot for members of Chinese crime syndicates, who are assured of immunity from the law—if they keep a low profile.
In October, Taiwanese police arrested 17 alleged members of the Heaven’s Way Alliance—a Taiyang branch—on charges of smashing up the Taiwan offices of a Hong Kong-based magazine.
The Taiyang branch was put under police surveillance after one of the gang’s reputed leaders, who reportedly lives in Cambodia, sent a letter to Taiwan media hinting the group was responsible for the attack, the South China Morning Post reported.
Prime Minister Hun Sen vowed to curb triad gang activities in 2000. Police said they were involved in kidnappings and the killing of a Taiwanese businessman.
