Former Cambodian governor arrested over alleged murder of his mistress

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian authorities on Sunday afternoon arrested Lay Vannak, the recently-ousted governor of southern Takeo province, for allegedly murdering his mistress in January, a spokesman said.

 

"Our police had implemented a court warrant and brought him for questioning over his alleged murder of mistress," Interior Ministry spokesman Gen. Khieu Sopheak told Xinhua.

 

According to the court warrant on Sunday, Phnom Penh Municipal Court Deputy Prosecutor Seang Sok ordered the competent authorities to bring in the former governor for questioning over a murder happened on Jan. 26, 2018 at a rented house in Takeo province.

 

The arrest came just a week after Lay Vannak, 45, was ousted from his position.

The body of Chev Sovathana, 36, a National Assembly official and member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party's youth group, was found hanging in her rented villa in Takeo province, and local police reported that it was a suicide.

 

However, the Interior Ministry had launched a reinvestigation into the case and found that it was a murder.

Several days before the arrest of the former governor, police had arrested five involved persons, among them are Takeo Provincial Deputy Police Chief Lay Narith, who is the former governor's older brother, and his driver and maids.

 

On Saturday, Lay Vannak wrote on his Facebook page, acknowledging that he had an affair with Chev Sovathana, but denied that he killed her.

Editor: Jiaxin   source http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/01/c_137081247.htm