Claims innocence, but murder conviction (in mango farm 2011) upheld.
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 9:07 pm
Since his arrest in 2011 over the brutal murder of 25-year-old Keo Sokunthy in a mango farm, Bou Buntheth has maintained his innocence and appealed his murder conviction all the way to the Supreme Court.
Yesterday, however, the court upheld the verdict of the lower courts.
“The Supreme Court has upheld the judgment of the Appeal Court. The Supreme Court convicted him to 13 years in prison,” said presiding judge Khim Pon has he read the court’s decision in the case.
Under article 199 of the Criminal Code, he faced a maximum of 15 years for “intentional homicide” and was also ordered to pay 13 million riel (about $3,250) to the victim’s family.
During his trial and appeal hearings, prosecutors told the court that on the night of the murder, there had been a fight between two rival groups of youths at a village dance in Kampong Speu province’s Pisey district. The fighters fled when police arrived and Mr. Buntheth and Ms. Sokunthy found themselves alone together in a nearby mango farm.
As the wife of a member of the rival group, deputy general prosecutor Chhoun Chantha said Mr. Buntheth had attacked her, before stripping her naked and tying her to a tree and slashing her throat and hands, causing her death.
Police arrested Mr. Buntheth after tracing him to a pair of shoes left behind at the scene, although he has always denied they were his...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28803/ ... onviction/
Yesterday, however, the court upheld the verdict of the lower courts.
“The Supreme Court has upheld the judgment of the Appeal Court. The Supreme Court convicted him to 13 years in prison,” said presiding judge Khim Pon has he read the court’s decision in the case.
Under article 199 of the Criminal Code, he faced a maximum of 15 years for “intentional homicide” and was also ordered to pay 13 million riel (about $3,250) to the victim’s family.
During his trial and appeal hearings, prosecutors told the court that on the night of the murder, there had been a fight between two rival groups of youths at a village dance in Kampong Speu province’s Pisey district. The fighters fled when police arrived and Mr. Buntheth and Ms. Sokunthy found themselves alone together in a nearby mango farm.
As the wife of a member of the rival group, deputy general prosecutor Chhoun Chantha said Mr. Buntheth had attacked her, before stripping her naked and tying her to a tree and slashing her throat and hands, causing her death.
Police arrested Mr. Buntheth after tracing him to a pair of shoes left behind at the scene, although he has always denied they were his...
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/news/28803/ ... onviction/