The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Nguon Vatana, 32, with murder yesterday for allegedly shooting his friend Morm Saravadi, 33, a police officer with Phnom Penh’s minor crimes office, authorities say.

Tuol Kork district police chief Huoth Chanyarann said Morm Saravdi was shot on Friday on Street 271 while with his 6-year-old son.

“He was shot with two bullets in the back of his head while he was driving the motorbike and carrying his son,” he told the Post.

“He died immediately on the road.”

Morm Saravadi’s son was not injured.

Chan Veasna, director of the Phnom Penh municipal military police’s secretariat, said the alleged killer, a former bodyguard and driver of the wife of Tuol Kork’s deputy governor, was arrested on Friday in Teuk La’ak commune.

Authorities apprehended him with a pistol containing 11 bullets, and sent him to the municipal military police station for questioning.

According to Huoth Chanyarann, an investigation revealed the shooting stemmed from a personal matter, though he declined to go into further detail.

Neither Nguon Vatana, nor his defence lawyer, could be reached for comment.

To contact the reporter on this story: Buth Reaksmey Kongkea at [email protected]