Security guard charged with killing military policeman [Was he the real killer or was he being framed?]

 

KHEMERAK PHUMIN TOWN, Koh Kong, 4 May 2012 (Cambodia Herald) – Koh Kong Provincial Court charged a private security guard Friday with unintentionally killing a military policeman posthumously accused of shooting dead an environmental activist last week.

The man was identified as Ran Borath, a 26-year-old employee of a company called Timber Green which is believed to have a land concession in the area where the incident took place.

Koh Kong Provincial Court Judge Min Makara ordered the security guard detained after he was charged.

In Kong Chit, from the local branch of human rights group Licadho, said the court had been questioning Ran Borath as a suspect since Thursday. The court then sent reports to an investigating judge before considering whether or not to detain the suspect.

Tith Sothea, a member of a government commission of inquiry into the killings, said military policeman In Rottana shot activist Chut Wutty (pictured) dead after an argument at a remote forest settlement on Thursday last week.

The Koh Kong court found that Ran Borath was suspected of trying to take the gun from the military policeman who was subsequently shot dead.

The incident was also witnessed by two Cambodia Daily reporters who were traveling with the activist. Both, however, say they did not see who fired the shots.

An initial military report said the activist, who was armed, and the military policeman shot each other. A subsequent military report said the military policeman committed suicide after shooting the activist dead.