A defendant escaped from Banteay Meanchey Provincial Court yesterday after telling the presiding judge he needed a bathroom break.

“In order to escape from the trial, The suspect claimed he had to defecate in the toilet,” deputy provincial prison director Oeu Saroeun said.

Guards smelled something fishy when Em Sey, 24, didn’t emerge from the toilet, Saroeun said.

They found the escapee had removed roofing tiles and shimmied out through the ceiling.

Sey, along with another man, faced charges of sexually assaulting his daughter-in-law.

A team of 60 police officers, military police personnel and prison guards were hunting for the fugitive, Saroeun said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Khouth Sophak Chakrya at [email protected]