The aunt of a man who was shot and then allegedly beaten to death by Pursat province police and commune officials said she will file a formal criminal complaint with the provincial court today.

Mork Phirum, a police officer in Kratie district’s Sna Ansa commune, and his four colleagues are the centre of 44-year-old Sok Sareth’s complaint.

Phuong Sothea, coordinator for rights group Adhoc in Pursat province, said the murder of Prach Sopheak marked the fourth extrajudicial killing in the province this year.

Mork Kor, commune chief of Sna Ansa and father of the alleged ringleader in the killing, told the Post the victim was a gangster who wreaked havoc in the neighbourhood, causing trouble at religious ceremonies and stealing poultry from villagers.

Kor maintained that the victim had been beaten to death by a mob angry with his thievery of their personal property.

According to a police report and witnesses, Sopheak was shot twice before being beaten to death by a group of assailants.

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