While [Ministry of Interior spokesman] Sopheak could not be reached yesterday, there was a flurry of activity at the Interior Ministry, with families of those arrested attempting to locate them.

A Singaporean man was overheard demanding to meet his Vietnamese wife, who had been arrested late on Tuesday night and kept at the Ministry of Interior. However, a police officer, who was involved in the questioning, informed him that his wife had “masterminded” the attack, while refusing to divulge any other details.

“Your wife had a boyfriend. She planned the grenade attack to get revenge,” the police officer could be heard saying, adding that seven people had been arrested, of which three were Vietnamese.

However, the man, who declined to identify himself to a reporter, denied his wife had any involvement.

Another woman looking for her husband – a security guard at the Borey Chamkarmon gated residential community – was told that her husband would be produced in court today over his involvement in the attack. The woman declined to comment on the matter and, in a surprising move, was herself taken into custody a short time later for her alleged involvement in the case.

Officials present at the ministry, however, refused to comment.

On Wednesday, police told Khmer Times they had arrested five suspects related to the grenade attack. Now they have arrested a total of eight people in relation to the attack.

Phnom Penh Police Chief General Choun Sovann told reporters in a press conference on Friday at the CID headquarters that the grenade attack was related to a grudge between Ear Lyhour, a 36-year-old who was a victim, and the ringleader of the gang, a woman.

“This attack was organized two times,” Gen. Sovann said. “The first time was an attempt to murder only one victim and the ringleader hired a hitman with a gun to commit murder, but it failed.
“But this ringleader did not stop in her attempts, so she organized another premeditated murder attempt by hiring hitmen who used a grenade.”


Forty-one-year-old Sok Kimly, the alleged ringleader, hired Sak Mab, 36, and Bun Pheakdiy, 32, who were the ones who tossed the grenade, he said. Two others were accomplices – Nou Samban, 33, and Bou Sophea, 25.

Gen. Sovann described the grenade attack as premeditated murder.

Three Vietnamese women were among the eight arrested – Ni Hor Pinh, 36, Chang Thi Ve, 46, and Le Yang Yong, 42 – and it is alleged they were also involved in the first attempted murder, which took place in August, 2015.

“All these murder attempts were organized by the same ringleader, who is Sok Kimly, a 41-year-old,” Gen. Sovann said, adding that he will send the suspects to court to be charged with attempted murder and premeditated murder...

According to Gen. Sovann, the grenade was an M26 which is a US product and police are investigating where the grenade came from, as well as looking to arrest more suspects involved in the case.

CEOCambodiaNews wrote:The "mastermind":



The "co-plotters" :

Edwardo wrote:Ah, a good old-fashioned Cambodian hand grenade attack story! It's like a time warp back to 1992. Now if they could just so something about the sword and axe crimes....