Two Chinese men were sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for murdering a male compatriot in Russey Keo district’s Prek Liep commune on December 13.

Chinese nationals Kou Yenkui, 33, and Fong Fangping, 32, were convicted according to Article 199 of the criminal code.

“The defendants can take the case to the Appeal Court if they don’t accept the verdict,” presiding judge Kor Vandy said.

In the hearing on June 27, Kou admitted that he came to Cambodia for business and knew the victim, Jiang Yangtong, who had frequently asked to borrow money from him.

On the day of Jiang’s death, Kou invited him for a drink at restaurant 108 in Prek Liep’s Ktor village.

When Kou refused to lend Jiang $2,000, Jiang threatened him with a knife.

“I didn’t fatally stab the victim, just grabbed his hand,” Kou said.

Fong said he tried to intervene in the dispute but was kicked by Jiang.

Fong confessed that he then “stabbed the victim to death” while Kou restrained Jiang’s hands.

The defendants and their lawyer could not be reached.

To contact the reporter on this story: Lieng Sarith at [email protected]