The bodyguard of a high-ranking official was arrested on Sunday and sent to Phnom Penh Municipal Court yesterday where he was charged on three counts after allegedly going on a shooting spree and threatening to murder two women in Meanchey district last week.

Kheng Sovann, deputy commander of Phnom Penh municipal military police, said Kheang Seila, 33, was charged with threatening two women and causing damage to their car with gunshots.

“He was accused by our police with three charges: violent acts, threatening and causing damages,” Sovann said.

Declining to provide names of the officials involved, a Meanchey district military police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the wife of a high-ranking official and a maid filed   complaints against Seila.

The pair, he said, claimed Seila was ordered to beat them to death by the wife of a second high-ranking official, following a tiff of unknown origins.

“He was driving a car and grazed the victim’s car and fired a bullet at the victim’s car causing the mirror to break,” the officer said.

“After that, he followed the victim’s car to her house and slapped the maid’s mouth, causing her injuries.”

Though she has not been arrested, police said they were also investigating the role of the woman who allegedly ordered him to beat the victims.

Yeth Yakriya, chief prosecutor of General Prosecutor’s office of Phnom Penh Municipal Court and Sok Roeun, vice prosecutor, could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Seila also could not be reached for comment regarding the accusations.