Suspect in forestry patrol killings surrenders

Mech Dara | Publication date 01 February 2018 | 17:50 ICT

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Suspect Keut Veha, the head of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Regiment 103, surrendered to police last night. Photo supplied/Fresh News

A suspect allegedly involved in the slaying on Tuesday of three forest patrollers in Mondulkiri’s Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary surrendered himself to authorities late yesterday and is currently being questioned by authorities, according to officials.

So Sovan, the deputy provincial police chief, said that suspect Keut Veha, the head of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Regiment 103, turned himself in at the police station last night.

“He showed up at 11pm. He came to confess to us, we did not catch him,” he said, adding that police were still searching for suspect Phal Penh, who is a police officer in charge of the O’Rolear border post.

On Tuesday evening, Military Police officer Sok Vothana, Environment Ministry ranger Theun Soknay, and Wildlife Conservation Society staffer Thol Khna were ambushed and killed while on forestry patrol.

Further details about the incident remain unclear, though National Police spokesman Kirth Chantharith said on Tuesday night that there had been a report earlier in the day of chainsaws being confiscated by rangers, with the head of the nearby border post sent to “check on it”. Chantharith said the border officer headed to the area with two soldiers and soon thereafter the shooting began. Calls to Chantharith today went unanswered.

Both Sovan and district Police Chief Bou Bun Chheat have said that the second soldier in the group besides Veha was “not involved” – though neither provided further clarification as to why the individual, identified as Nguon Chea, was not a suspect.

"The real perpetrators are only the two that are involved in this shooting," Sovan said.

Defence Ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat could not be reached today.