An RCAF general’s nearly two month-long nightmare ended on Saturday with the arrest of his wife and three sons, who were charged with illegally detaining and torturing the man in a bid to force him to sell his land.

Lor Sokha, deputy director of the Ministry of Interior’s Serious Penal Police Office, said Ngin Chantrea Devi, 45, and her three adult sons were accused of keeping Brigadier General Nuon Pak, 52, a military adviser to the Ministry of National Defence, a prisoner in his own house.

“They have [detained] their husband and father and beaten him in order to force him to sell his land worth US$80,000 and return it to them. They were arrested after the complaint of the victim,” Lor Sokha said.

Brigadier General Nuon Pak, a Kroeung ethnic national, said his wife and sons had taken him prisoner in his house in Phsar Depo II commune, Toul Kork district, on October 18.

“I was seriously tortured and beaten by them every day. They tied me up. They used sticks and chopsticks to hit me on the back and head. They also poured hot water on my back,” he told the Post yesterday.

Brigadier General Nuon Park said he was kept prisoner for almost two months and rescued on December 10 only because one of his soldiers had visited him and reported to ADHOC’s office in Mondulkiri that he was seriously injured.

“[My family] had tortured and beaten me in order to force me into selling land in my birthplace, which is worth $80,000, to give to them.” He said he had thousands of marks on his back from the beatings and was being treated in Phnom Penh.

“To get $80,000 from me, they did not consider that I was their husband or their father. They have tortured and beaten me every day. I think their activities were very cruel and inhumane. I will ask the law to decide their fate and to strongly punish them,” he said.

Brigadier General Nuon Park said he had continually fought with his wife for more than four years, but because he loved his three sons, he had not divorced her.

The four accused will face court today.

Sam Sarin, Adhoc’s coordinator for Mondulkiri, could not be reached for comment yesterday.