Official detained after alleged murder attempt

A K AMPONG Thom Provincia l Hall of ficia l was sent to hospita l for heart treatment disesase on November 17 after being arrestesd for a llegedly attempting to murder a prov incia l court deput y prosecutor.

A prov incia l Militar y Police officer who asked not to be named said Mao Bunthou, t he prov incia l hall’s head of inter-sectora l Bureau, was briefly detained on the order of prosecutor Sin Vira k after stabbing deput y prosecutor Say Veasna in the throat with a k nife at a restaurant.

The anonymous officer said the a lleged attempted murder occurred at the Pech Chenda Waterfa ll Restaurant on November 16.

Veasna said t hat at t he time of t he incident, he was eating with friends and ot her of ficia ls at t he restaurant while Bunthou was eating in an adjacent room. Later, he said, Bunthou walked into his room and started acting oddly, opening and closing t he door severa l times.

“Until around 9pm, Bunthou, armed with a white sharp k nife hidden in his hand, walked into my room and of fered his left hand for me to shake. At that time, because I thought he was older than me, I offered my right hand to shake his hand.

“Then Bunthou came close to me and pulled the k nife to stab me in t he t hroat, but I caught it wit hout causing injuries,” Veasna said.

However, after questioning at t he prov incia l Militar y Police on November 17, officers decided to send the suspect to t he prov incia l referra l hospita l for treatment due to heart disease problems, according to the anonymous of ficer.

“We have not yet been able to determine when the case will be closed, because t he suspect is now suffering from heart disease. The prov incia l doctor who came to examine suspect said [Bunthou’s] heart jumped quick ly and he had chest pains. So we sent him to t he prov incia l hospita l for treatment on t he morning of November 17,” t he of ficer said.

Prosecutor Vira k said on November 17 that the case is current ly under t he Milita r y Police’s jurisdiction and would be referred to the prov incia l court for f urt her action.

“Now authorities are questioning some witnesses. So Bunthou is still under Milita r y Police [detention] for f urt her questioning,” he said.