UPDATE:
It has been disclosed that one of the accused drug traffickers is the son of a senior military officer, but rumors of his premature release are false, Phnom Penh court officials said on 27 January 2020. It seems that the father spoke out of turn to say that his son was not involved, but he does not have as much clout as he thought, because the son has been charged. This was officially confirmed by Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia Breaking News: Following the rumor from Kompong Speu concerning the release of the accused, the son of a senior military officer of the 3rd Brigade, involved in a nearly 10-kilogram drug trafficking case, the Municipal Court Phnom Penh told us that it was not true.
Deputy prosecutor Kuch Kimlong, spokesman for the prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said on January 27, 2020, that two accused were detained by the Ministry of Interior's drug department. He will send the case to the court in connection with the trafficking of methamphetamine.
Ouk Sovannarith, the investigating judge of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, issued an arrest warrant for the detention of the accused: Keo Sothea, a 25-year-old male car driver, living in Chreav village, Thpong district, Kampong Speu province, and Kim Kim, a 35-year-old male, a tuk tuk driver from Khan Por Senchey, Phnom Penh, on charges of unlawful possession of drugs, illicit transport of drugs and illicit drug trafficking in Samrong Krom village, Khan Por Senchey, Phnom Penh, according to Article 40 of the Law on Drug Control.
It should be recalled that the two accused were arrested by the authorities on January 10, 2020 under the direction of Lt. Gen. Kheang Sarath, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Interior's drug department. Deputy prosecutor Kham Sophary was overseeing the case for the Phnom Penh Municipal Court.
After the two defendants were ordered to be taken into legal custody, there were rumors from the family of the accused, Keo Sothea, whose father was a senior military officer in the military in Kompong Speu province, that the court had immediately released him, because Keo Sothea was not involved as published by the media.
Kompong Speu sources have revealed that at the time of the arrest, Brigadier Kong Koeung, a senior officer of the 3rd Battalion of Kompong Speu province and the father of the accused, Keo Sothea, had told reporters in Kampong Speu province that his son was released immediately after the arrest for not being involved.
This false information was corrected by senior officials of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court today.
