March 30, 2018
Cops questioned over woman’s suicide
Nearly ten Takeo provincial police and military police officials are being questioned at the Interior Ministry this week over the death of a woman in Daun Keo city that was reported as a suicide in January.

The body of Chev Sovathana, a National Assembly official and member of the CPP’s youth group, was found by her maid hanging in her rental room in the city on January 26.

After the discovery, Daun Keo city police and local media reported the case as a suicide, but it is now apparently being re-investigated.

National Police Commissioner General Neth Savoeun said yesterday that about seven or eight Takeo provincial police officials, including deputy provincial police chief Lay Narith, older brother of former Takeo provincial governor Lay Vannak, are being questioned at the Interior Ministry over the case.


“They were questioned over the woman’s death,” Gen Savoeun said. “We questioned them to compare information.Two military police officers were also questioned already,” Gen Savoeun added.

Gen Savoeun declined to discuss the case further when asked if the case was no longer considered a suicide and if the transfer of former Takeo provincial governor Mr Vannak to the Interior Ministry earlier this month was linked to the case.

Gen Savoeun then referred questions to the Interior Ministry. General Khieu Sopheak, spokesman for the ministry, could not be reached for comment, while Takeo provincial police chief Sok Samnang declined to comment yesterday.

Daun Keo city police chief Chhay Savuth said in January that the woman had killed herself, noting that officers suspected she was involved in a love affair based upon a letter found by her body.

After her funeral, the victim’s family raised concerns that the case may not have been a suicide and local news reports published their claims.

The reports said that no chair was found by the body, meaning it would have been impossible for her to hang herself, and added that her hand was found locked into the rope’s knots, apparently from a struggle to free herself.

The reports also said that fingerprints were found on the body and that the case was likely murder motivated by a love triangle.​General Kirth Chantharith, spokesman for the National Police, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/50269436/co ... s-suicide/

The investigation into Ms Sovathana's untimely death continues as high level police officials are being questioned.


Police suspected she was involved in a love affair based upon a letter found by her body.


The family of the victim say that it wasn't possible that she committed suicide because she hung herself from a curtain rail without using a chair.
(Photos on the darknet forum.)

March 31, 2018
Chev’s death: court questions cops
The Interior Ministry is reinvestigating the death of Chev Sovathana, which was initially deemed a suicide by the police. Five involved persons, among them members of the police force, were taken to Phnom Penh Municipal Court on March 31 for questioning.

The body of Chev Sovathana, a National Assembly official and member of the CPP’s youth group, was found hanging in her rented room in Daun Keo city on January 26. Daun Keo city police and local media reported that it was suicide.

After hearing provincial police officers, the young lady’s death is now seen as a homicide perpetrated by person or persons unknown.

On Thursday, March 29, National Police Commissioner General Neth Savoeun said that seven or eight Takeo provincial police officials were being questioned at the Interior Ministry. One of them is deputy provincial police chief Lay Narith, the older brother of former Takeo provincial governor Lay Vannak,
Phnom Penh Municipal Court interrogated five persons on the afternoon of March 31, including Mr Narith and an unnamed woman. The identities of the other three have not been disclosed.

As of the evening of March 31, the “persons of interest” have been returned into the custody of the ministry and will be further questioned on April 1.
http://www.khmertimeskh.com/297912/chev ... ions-cops/

(Takeo): Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak told the Fresh News website on the night of March 31, 2018 that a police investigation into the murder of a woman in Daunkeo town, Cheav Sothavatha, could be related to Lay Vannak, former governor of Takeo province.


On March 31, 2018, the former governor of Takeo province, Lay Vannak, admitted to having sex with Chav Sethanatha Neary, who was found dead in January 2018.

Mr. Vannak confirmed on his Facebook note in the evening of March 31, "I would like to confirm that I and Chiv Sisathana have been in love for more than a year. Later, when my wife found out, I cut off my relationship with her and she became angry with me until she thought of suicide. This is true, but I totally reject all the accusations that I and my brother killed Sister Chavez. "
http://www.freshnewsasia.com/index.php/ ... 11-56.html

Breaking: Ex-Takeo governor arrested in connection with death of National Assembly staffer
1 April 2018
Lay Vannak, the recently ousted governor of Takeo province, was arrested Sunday afternoon in connection with the suspicious death of a 36-year-old National Assembly staffer, according to Ministry of Interior spokesman Khieu Sopheak.

Vannak’s arrest is the culmination of days of speculation about the death of Chev Sovathana, who was found hanged in January in what police originally ruled a suicide but are now investigating as a murder.

Vannak's brother, provincial Deputy Police Chief Lay Narith, was taken into custody Saturday in connection with the death, along with four other suspects – Chan Ry, Sovathana’s maid; Choem Vuth, Ry’s husband; Men Sakmay, Vannak’s driver; and Tak Ratana, Narith’s driver. National Police spokesman Kirt Chantharith confirmed the five were being questioned Sunday.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Saturday, Vannak admitted to a year-long affair with Sovathana but denied involvement in her death.

"I would like to strongly deny all the accusations that my brother and I killed sister Chev Sovathana," Vannak wrote. "My brother and I made no evil decision to kill her ... I believe the judicial system and our courts will provide justice for me and my older brother."

The former governor insisted that Sovathana had committed suicide after he tried to break off the relationship, and added that he was "not running away from the [ruling Cambodian People's] Party or my country".

Vannak was transferred last week from his post as governor to an unspecified position at the Ministry of Interior without explanation, and officials have not said whether his removal was connected to the murder investigation.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Ly Sophanna confirmed that prosecutor Sieng Sok issued a summons for Vannak on Sunday.

“The Order to Appear allows the judicial police officer to call for police forces to compel such person to appear before [the judge],” Sophanna said in a message.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... by-staffer

27 March 2018
Takeo governor transferred to ministry, deputy promoted
Lay Vannak, the governor of Takeo province, was transferred to the Ministry of Interior on Monday in a move that saw his deputy, Ouch Phea, promoted to the top job.

A Royal Decree signed by acting head of state Say Chhum says Vannak will be transferred to work at the ministry’s headquarters. No other details or explanation have been given for the move.
https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... y-promoted

A (potentially dubious) Facebook news outlet has linked HM to the case, saying she became his mistress after being ditched by the takeo governor, and took her on expensive first class trips to Europe.

I don't have the links, lost in the Facebook algorithms, only have the Khmer text and google translation:

The news agency investigated the murder case, Cheav Sotheavan, received some documents and pictures, and we received information that Lay Vannak, Takeo provincial governor, was the murderer of Ms. Chav Sovathana.

Chiv Sovathana has been in contact with Lay Vannak for many years until she has three children. But since 2016, Chev Satchathat stole a romance with HM, and she wanted to break away from Vannak.

Last year, Hun Maneth paid airline tickets to Jovsavatana to go to Europe and spent tens of thousands of dollars, causing him to be angry with her husband, Chev Vathana.

It was a love triangle between Chave Sovatana, HM, and Lay Vannak. Hun Manat has now ordered to go out and can kill his mouth.

Feng Youn's wife, Chea Pich Chun Mony, did not know this, so please do not charge him as another order.

ភ្នាក់ងារព័ត៌មានយើង​ បានធ្វើការស្រាវជ្រាវសំណុំរឿងឃាតកម្មអ្នកស្រី ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនា បានទទួលឯកសារនិងរូបភាពមួយចំនួន ហើយយើងបានទទួលព័ត៌មានថា លោក ឡាយ វណ្ណៈ អភិបាលខេត្តតាកែវគឺជាឃាតករសម្លាប់អ្នកស្រី ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនាមែន។

ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនា ​មានទំនាក់ទំនងជាមួយ ឡាយ វណ្ណៈ ជាយូរឆ្នាំមកហើយរហូតដល់មានកូន៣នាក់។ប៉ុន្តែចាប់តាំពីឆ្នាំ២០១៦មក ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនា បានលួចមានទំនាក់ទំនងស្នេហាជាមួយ ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត ហើយនាងចង់បែកពី ឡាយ វណ្ណៈ។

កាលពីឆ្នាំមុន ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត បានចេញថ្លៃសំបុត្រ​យន្តហោះឲ្យ ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនាទៅលេងអឺរ៉ុប និងចាយវាយអស់រ៉ាប់ម៉ឺនដុល្លារ ធ្វើឲ្យលោក ឡាយ វណ្ណៈ ប្រច័ណ្ឌខឹងរហូតដល់សម្លាប់អ្នកស្រី ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនា។

វាជារឿងស្នេហាត្រីកោណរវាង ចេវ សុវឌ្ឍនា ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត និង​ឡាយ វណ្ណៈ។ឥឡូវ​នេះ ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត បានបញ្ជាឲ្យតាមចាប់​ ឡាយ វណ្ណៈហើយអាចនិងសម្លាប់បំបិតមាត់។

ប្រពន្ធ ហ៊ុន ម៉ាណែត លោកជំទៀវ ពេជ ចាន់មុនី គាត់មិនបានដឺងរឿងនេះទេ ដូច្នេះ​សូមបងប្អូន កុំចោទប្រកាន់គាត់ថាជាអ្នកបញ្ជារទៀត។

Got their man, it seems.

What a week for Lay Vannak: demoted as governer last week (but totally unrelated tho, yeah), now under arrest for the murder of a former mistress.

https://www.khmerload.com/news/78634

Senior Interior Ministry officials confirmed that Lay Vannak was detained in Daunkeo city, Takeo province by order of the arrest of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.

Yes, it was a busy day for the ex-governor. In his last social media post before being arrested, former Takeo governor Lay Vannak, wrote about Cheav Sotheavan's previous suicide attempt in a last ditch attempt to blame the victim.*

"Sivathana has made a suicide attempt many times! She first swallowed pills on 12/11/2016. And was taken by friends to Calmette Hospital on time! Every time she gets upset, she always wants to commit suicide! "

On the afternoon of April 1, former governor of Takeo Province, Mr. Lay Vannak, participated in the Ceremony for the Transfer of Tasks and Appointment of President of the Cambodian People's Party of Takeo, with the old president, Mr. Lay Vannak, replaced by Mr. Ouch Phea. But at about 15:30 local time, Mr. Lay Vannak was arrested by the police force following the arrest warrant from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for the murder of Cheav Sotheavan.


*More on the darknet forum.

Mr. Lay Vannak, 45 year old ex-governor of Takeo, was arrested in front of Chea Sim Takeo High School in Roka commune in Daun Keo city, some 150 meters from the provincial Party's ceremony on the afternoon of April 1 2018.

Four to five police officers detained the vehicle of Lay Vannak, in accordance with the arrest warrant issued by Sieng Sok, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court Prosecutor, and they requested that Mr. Lay Vannak accompany them in a police car to the Criminal Police department. He is to be questioned about the murder of his ex-mistress. Mr Vannak is the sixth person to be arrested in connection with this case.