Vietnamese officials have refused to repatriate a Cambodian police officer who allegedly shot and killed one Vietnamese national and injured a second on Saturday after crossing the border to visit his “second wife”.

Lay Bunthy, deputy police chief at the Phnom Den International Checkpoint, could face a life sentence in Vietnam, said Yuk Sarat, Takeo’s Kiri Vong district police chief.

Bunthy is suspected of using a K-59 pistol to kill Le Van Duoc and injure Phan Van Quang in revenge after being beaten by Van Duoc three months ago, Sarat said.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh yesterday said the Cambodian government would be asked to investigate the fatal shooting of two Vietnamese fishermen by Cambodian officers over the weekend.

The two were part of a group of Vietnamese fishermen discovered in a tributary of the Bassac River.

Ministry of Interior Spokesman Khieu Sopheak said the ministry hadn’t received the request but would conduct an investigation anyway.