Supporters Block Koh Kong Court Prisoner’s Exit

Koh Kong: Koh Kong Provincial Court ordered the detention of a man in Tuol Pong village, Preaek Khsach, Kiri Sakor district after he made a threat to Kill Sok Sothy, Deputy Governor of Koh Kong Province on November 25, 2019 .

The 40-year-old Cambodian male (Tith Sitha?) allegedly threatened to kill Sok Sothy, deputy governor of Koh Kong province, in a telephone message on April 8, 2019, a criminal offense punishable under Article 233 of the Penal Code according to the plaintiff, the deputy governor.

The same investigating judge also ordered the head of the Koh Kong Provincial Prison to accept him and detain him until a new decision was issued and ordered that all agencies cooperate properly.

Upon finding that the accused had been arrested by the court, nearly 100 of his supporters appeared before the court. They made concerted efforts to prevent the authorities from sending the accused to prison, blocking the way from 5pm until the morning of 26th.

The accused had allegedly sent a message threatening to kill him the DG on April 8, 2019, after villagers were ordered to stop building a road in an area under a dispute with Chinese-owned Union Development Group (UDG).

According to Sok Sothy, no arrests had been made as he asked Tith Sitha to file an apology. No such official apology has been sent to him for the past seven months.

He has already filed a complaint with the provincial police for some information on the accused’s apology several times. Commune chiefs could not be reached for comment on the arrest. RASMEI

UPDATE: It was finally agreed that the suspect would be released on bail, and the protests dispersed.