Banteay Meanchey provincial court ordered the detention of five suspects for assault, following a complaint made by three victims, who worked at a restaurant and night club in Poipet city, said the provincial court on Sunday.
Provincial court spokesperson Roeun Lina said the suspects were identified as ringleader Pheav Sophanthorng, 28, a resident of Poipet city’s Phsar Kandal commune and his four accomplices Ly Prathna, 18; Chay Heng, 18; Chan Bros, 17; and Chhin Sopheak, 17.
The five were detained by Poipet military police on Thursday, one day after the assault on the three restaurant workers, who live in the same village.
“After questioning on Saturday, the five suspects were put in pre-trail detention by the provincial court in provincial prison. They were charged for intentional aggravated assault in accordance with Article 218 of the Criminal Codes,” Lina said.
“The crime is punishable by two to five years in prison and a fine between four and 10 million riel ($1,000 and $2,500).”
Poipet city military police commander Nuon Nynaro told The Post on Sunday that the suspects attacked the victims between 10pm and 12am on Wednesday in Phsar Kandal commune’s concrete road after they clocked out of the establishment they work at.
“The victims were [only] slightly injured due to timely intervention by villagers,” Nynaro said.
He said the suspects escaped, despite villager intervention. However, the victims were able to identify them as they live in the same village.
Following the attack, the victims filed a complaint at Poipet military police for intervention.
After an investigation, Poipet military police were able to locate the suspects and arrested them on Thursday for questioning.
The suspects confessed to assault and admitted that the motive was revenge.
The suspects had pleaded to the victims to request their employer to offer them a job, but the victims refused and called them “village gangsters”.
