Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Beaten MPs to seek stiffer sentencing for Bodyguard Unit attackers

Beaten MPs to seek stiffer sentencing for Bodyguard Unit attackers

Sot Vanny (left) and Mao Hoeun (right), pictured appearing at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in April for beating two CNRP lawmakers.
Sot Vanny (left) and Mao Hoeun (right), pictured appearing at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court in April for beating two CNRP lawmakers. Pha Lina

Beaten MPs to seek stiffer sentencing for Bodyguard Unit attackers

The lawyer for two opposition lawmakers brutally beaten by at least 16 men outside the National Assembly last year will next week file an appeal against the largely suspended sentence given to three of the attackers.

Soldiers Mao Hoeung, Sut Vanny and Chhay Sarith were sentenced to four years in prison over the brutal attack on CNRP lawmakers Kong Saphea and Nhay Chamroeun, though all but a year was suspended. Counting time already served, the trio will be out in five months.

Attorney Sam Sokong said he would lodge documents with the Appeal Court and the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia calling for a stiffer penalty for the three, who are members of the prime minister’s Bodyguard Unit.

He said the filing would also reference the recent seven-year sentence handed to three opposition members for their alleged role in a 2014 post-election protest that turned violent. “If we compare the action and punishment, they are not consistent,” Sokong said, suggesting a term of between six and seven years.

Chamroeun, who required surgery for his injuries, yesterday called his attackers’ sentence “a joke”.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one