‘Soldier’ held for firing into bus after accident

A THIRTY-seven-year-old man fired several bullets into a bus on Wednesday night after it failed to stop following a minor accident, according to the man’s own account and police, who have arrested the suspect and, in a report, identified him as a soldier.

According to a report prepared by the head of Russey Keo district police’s anti-drug bureau, suspect Eng Kosal, was detained at the scene in Tuol Sangke commune and is a “bodyguard” at the military barracks 499, though another police official denied the suspect served in the armed forces.

Phnom Penh Deputy Police Chief Song Ly called Kosal a “fake soldier” and said he would face court over the alleged shooting spree with a handgun.

“We are making a report and will send him to the court,” Ly said.

“He shot eight times. He was a fake soldier and we will investigate about his weapon.”

A report on the National Police website stated that Kosal had fired 10 bullets into the bus.

A video of the aftermath on Wednesday night shows the back of the bus riddled with bullet holes, while a security guard quoted in the clip says the vehicle was carrying no passengers at the time of the incident.

In the footage, Kosal tells a reporter he open fired after the bus failed to stop after clipping his car, and he is later heard telling his “boss” that his gun had been confiscated by the authorities.

“The bus struck my car. We were driving from Tuol Kork,” Kosal tells the reporter.

“In fact I did not want to shoot, but the bus driver was very rude after he sideswiped me and did not stop.”