By May Titthara
Tuesday, 08 May 2012
Phnom Penh Post
Two journalists who were present when environmental activist Chut Wutty
and military police officer In Rattana were killed last month have
reportedly been summonsed to Koh Kong provincial court.
Neang
Boratino, Koh Kong provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc,
said court sources had told him Canadian Olesia Plokhii and Cambodian
Phorn Bopha would be questioned on May 17, even though an investigation
into the incident was officially wrapped up at the weekend.
“What
the joint investigation did is very fast, because the court had not
questioned all the witnesses who were involved, yet it announced a close
to the investigation,” Neang Boratino said, adding he had seen the
summons.
But Koh Kong provincial court clerk Chhin Long and
other court officials would not confirm yesterday that the summons had
been issued.
Neither of the reporters from the Cambodia Daily could be reached for comment yesterday, but both reportedly did not witness the shooting directly.
Plokhii has left the country.
The
five-member joint investigative committee examining the case announced
on Friday it had concluded that Chut Wutty, 48, was shot by military
official In Rattana, 31, who was then accidentally shot when security
guard Ran Boroth tried to disarm him.
On the same day, the Koh
Kong provincial court charged Ran Boroth, 27, with unintentional murder,
an offence that carries a one- to three-year jail term.
The
shootings took place at Veal Bei Point, in Mondul Seima district’s Bak
Khlang commune after a dispute erupted when Ran Boroth reportedly tried
to confiscate the memory card from the camera of Chut Wutty, who was
taking photos of timber stockpiles.
Ran Boroth works for the
company Timbergreen, which is licensed to clear the reservoirs of the
Lower Stung Russey Chrum dam project, in the same district where the
shooting took place.
To contact the reporter on this story: May Titthara at titthara.may@phnompenhpost.com
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