A personal assistant of Prime Minister Hun Sen and a trio of associates accused of beating four men in Koh Kong province over the weekend were sent to provincial court for further questioning yesterday.

Lay Menglaing, chief of minor crime police in Koh Kong, said on Tuesday that Bun Sokha, an assistant to Hun Sen as well as deputy chief of staff in the premier’s bodyguard unit, along with his two bodyguards and a driver were charged by police under article 218 of the penal law with “intentional acts of violence with aggravating circumstances”.

“We sent them to the court at 10:15am,” he said. “They told us that they used only hands and legs to beat the victims, not electric batons, but the camera at the hotel showed they used an electric baton and also pointed a gun at them.”

Bun Sokha, 38, bodyguards Sum Veasna, 37, Meng Chheangly, 21, and driver Sum Chhaiya, 25, were detained on Monday by Koh Kong provincial police after they allegedly attacked four men at Koh Kong City hotel in Khemarak Phoumin town at Sunday night.

The attack followed an argument that erupted after one of the victim’s arrived at Bun Sokha’s room looking for a necklace he believed he had left there earlier.

Prosecutor Top Chhun Heng declined to comment yesterday, saying he was still questioning the suspects.

Licahdo provincial coordinator In Kong Chet, who is monitoring the case at provincial court, said that at 5.40pm on Tuesday the prosecutor finished questioning the suspects and sent them back to spend another night at provincial police headquarters.

“He will bring them to question again tomorrow,” he said, adding that he had observed the suspects had “more freedom” of movement than normally granted to detainees.

“All four suspects still used phones to call out and walk freely in the courtyard. Also, I see there are many police officers patrolling outside the court.

Today’s courthouse has something irregular,” he said.

“They still have rights, but they should be treated like ordinary suspects.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Chhay Channyda at [email protected]