table42 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 16, 2016 6:04 pm "vietnam people can pick out a khmer like a bowler pick out a 7 , 10 split"

Not so sure about that. When I took my Cambodian wife to Vietnam the locals spoke to her in Vietnamese and were shocked to find out she was Cambodian.

Means nothing. The Thais will speak to the Missus in Thai, the Chinese in Chinese, The Laotians in Laotian, etc. Just laziness and habit; most Khmer are very distinct from Vietnamese.

November 7, 2019
Convicted tycoon Thong Sarath granted bail
The Court of Appeal has granted bail to property tycoon Thong Sarath and his three bodyguards who were sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Ung Meng Chue in 2014.

In March, Sarath was convicted of initiating premeditated murder, while his bodyguards–Seang Veasna, Meas Sambath, Kouy Chanthol, and Chhun Pheaktra were convicted of being accomplices to premediated murder. The four men were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Touch Tharith, spokesman for the Court of Appeal, today said that Presiding judge Chay Chandaravan granted bail to Sarath and his three bodyguards—Chantho, Sambath, and Pheaktra under court supervision.

“The decision to release them on bail was made yesterday but they are placed under court supervision,” Mr Tharith said.

He said that the four men are barred from leaving the Kingdom, from changing addresses and are obliged to show up once a week at Phnom Penh Municipal Police headquarters and to appear at the court when summoned.

“The director [of the court] has decided to further investigate the case,” Mr Tharith said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50658010/c ... nted-bail/

According to the Appeal Court’s statement issued yesterday, the case needs to be further investigated because it is very complicated.

“More investigation needs to be conducted and takes long time so the judge has to grant them bail because there is no clear evidence for them to remain in pre-trial detention,” the statement said.

Lol, it's not funny but you just have to laugh about that shit. A group of killers set free because they need more time. After 5 freakin years

That's a bit harsh, King. ^^
If there was not enough evidence it was obviously a bit of a mis-step by the overworked police that were convicted and sentenced in the first place.

Fair's fair, the judge should be congratulated.
Not often you see courts so determined to right a wrong like this.
And if the police say they need more time, you can rest assured they will take their time.

John Bingham wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:52 am

King Keil wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 8:59 am After 5 freakin years

,
The tycoon spent most of that time right across the street from his new condo development.

It's supposed to be nice, some judge has just scooped up a whole floor.

it sounds like comedy......but it's not !

very sad !

UPDATE
Explanation: This is a long and complex crime event which dates back to November 2014 when a tycoon named Ung Meng Chue was gunned down in public outside a fruit shop. The hit was allegedly ordered by another tycoon, Thong Sarath, and was executed by his body guards. The motive was said to be a business disagreement between the two men.

To cut a long story short, in 2020, tycoon Thong Sarath and all the bodyguards involved, except for one man, Seang Veasna, were released by the court, despite the fact that they had all received life sentences for murder in 2019. The last bodyguard, who is still being held in Prey Sar prison, is now appealing the Supreme Court for his release on the grounds that he is innocent.

Backstory on the murder - 18 page CEO thread from 2014: general-chatter/okhna-assassination-phn ... t2982.html

January 27, 2022
Ex-chief bodyguard appeals murder conviction
Buth Reaksmey Kongkea / Khmer Times

File photo of Seang Veasna as he is escorted to attend his hearing at the Supreme Court. Koh Santepheap

The Supreme Court yesterday heard the appeal of a former chief bodyguard of a tycoon who was sentenced to life in jail in 2019 for allegedly killing another tycoon Ung Meng Chue in 2014.

Presiding Judge You Ottara identified the accused as Seng Veasna, 48, a former soldier and former chief of bodyguards of tycoon Thong Sarath.

Judge Ottara said that Phnom Penh Municipal Court on March 26, 2019 sentenced Sarath, 41, a businessman and former military officer; and his four bodyguards identified as Veasna, Meas Sambath, 28, a former soldier with the 911 Paratrooper Brigade; Kouy Chanthol, 30, a former soldier with the E70 Brigade; and Chhun Pheaktra, 48, Sarath’s driver, to a life sentence in prison each.

The court also ordered the five of them to jointly pay $10 million in compensation to Taing Kimchheng, 48, Meng Chue’s wife.

Judge Ottara said Sarath was charged with “initiating a premeditated murder” while Veasna was charged with “premeditated murder.” Chanthol, Sambath and Pheaktra were charged with “conspiracy (accomplice) to premeditated murder” under Articles 28, 29 and 200 of the Criminal Code.

He added that all five appealed against their convictions to the Phnom Penh Appeal Court which on November 6, 2020 dropped the charges against Sarath, Chanthol, Sambath and Pheaktra and ordered them to be released from prison to be put under court supervision.

However, the court upheld Veasna’s life sentence.

During yesterday’s hearing, Veasna told the court that the lower court judgments against him are very unjust because he was innocent.

He asked the Supreme Court’s Judge Councils to overturn the ruling of the lower courts, drop his charge and release him from prison.

“I did not kill the victim,” Veasna told the court. “I did not know the victim and I have never had any argument with him before. Is there any reason and benefit for me to kill the victim?”

He added that police had beaten him and tortured him to obtain confessions during his arrest.
He recanted all his answers given to police during his interrogations.

Veasna’s wife Chea Keophally testified yesterday that on the day of victim’s murder (on November 22, 2014), Veasna was not in Phnom Penh but had gone to Kampong Chhnang province.
“I do not believe that my husband killed the victim because on the day of victim’s murder he stayed with me and the children the whole time,” she said.
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501014032/ ... onviction/

UPDATE

Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): On February 17, 2022, the Supreme Court confirmed and upheld the life sentence against Sieng Veasna, 48 years old, the former head of bodyguards of Oknha Thong Sarath. He was sentenced to life in prison for the premeditated murder of Okhna Ing Meng Cheu, the CEO of Diamond cement company and Shimmex Group, who was shot in front of a fruit shop called Lou Tech Sieng in Sangkat Toul Svay Prey 2, Khan Chamkar Moan in 2014.

Sieng Veasna, his boss, and the other bodyguards were all sentenced to life in prison: Oknha Thong Sarath, Sieng Veasna, Kouy Chanthol, Mean Sambath called Touch, and Khun Chetra. They were also ordered to compensate 10 million USD to the victim's wife.

However, for some reason, all of the convicted criminals except Sieng Veasna were 'temporarily' released* from custody on November 6, 2020. Sieng Veasna then filed an appeal for release as well, but this was rejected by the Supreme Court, and his life sentence was upheld.

*The exact legal status of the released criminals is unknown, but they are apparently no longer in jail.