Lawyer’s son in deadly hit-and-run now in prison

The son of a distinguished lawyer going through fees in a driving accident that killed a gold medal-winning badminton participant was being held in pre-trial detention after turning himself into authorities.

Prohm Vicheth Sosakada, 23, was despatched to PJ Jail in Phnom Penh on Sunday, based on Nuth Savana, the Inside Ministry’s spokesperson for the Division of Prisons.

The announcement on Wednesday comes after quite a few Cambodians posted messages on social media doubting whether or not authorities actually had Prohm in custody.

The Dec. 14 accident between a jeep and a bike in Phnom Penh’s Toul Kork district left SEA Video games badminton champion Seang Kimhong useless. 

Proof proves that Prohm was the motive force of the automotive and fled the scene “with out accountability,” prosecutor Plong Sophal wrote in an arrest warrant. Police stated this week that they have been additionally investigating the chance {that a} second driver was racing with Prohm.

Cambodians have been outraged when the sufferer’s spouse wrote on Fb that Prohm’s father attended the funeral and provided the household US$1,000 in the event that they agreed to not pursue felony fees.

Justice Minister Keut Rith responded by ordering Phnom Penh Municipal Courtroom prosecutors to “examine and resolve the matter correctly and strictly.” The arrest warrant was issued quickly afterward.

Intervention from Hun Manet

Prime Minister Hun Manet on Dec. 21 instructed site visitors law enforcement officials to right away arrest reckless drivers who brought about lethal accidents. Officers don’t want to attend for directions from top-ranking officers, he stated at a ceremony on the Ministry of Atmosphere in Phnom Penh. 

“I’ll take motion towards those that punish law enforcement officials for his or her work,” he stated. 

“What’s going to occur to our society if law enforcement officials implement the legislation they usually later obtain punishment from [powerful] people? Our legislation should be enforced if there may be sufficient proof of drunk driving or hit-and-run.” 

Distinguished suspects are sometimes capable of escape justice in Cambodia when they’re accused of a criminal offense.

However following the prime minister’s feedback, Prohm voluntarily turned himself in on the Commissariat of Phnom Penh Municipal Police.

The president of human rights group Adhoc advised Radio Free Asia that with out the prime minister’s intervention, the suspect wouldn’t have been arrested or been despatched to detention by authorities. 

“To what extent will they implement the legislation towards the one that brought about the accident?” Ny Sokha stated. 

“Is it based on authorized process or simply intermittent enforcement? Or is it simply to scale back the sentence or a present for the general public to settle down public criticism? Will they launch the suspect in a while?”

Seang Kimhong gained the gold medal in badminton at this yr’s SEA Video games, a regional Olympiad that takes place each two years and was hosted by Cambodia for the primary time in Might.

Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster.