A Cameraman for the Ministry of Information’s TVK news channel was charged by the Kandal Provincial Court yesterday with possessing an illegal firearm, among other allegations, police said.
Provincial police chief Brigadier General Eav Chamroeun said a TVK journalist identified as Aun Pheap, 47, had been charged with “using a fake National Police [licence] plate number, wearing a police uniform without permission and using a weapon without authorisation”.
Police Lieutenant Long Rith, of the Leuk Dek district Police, said Pheap was arrested after police noticed his fake plate number at a checkpoint near the Neak Leung ferry on Saturday.
“But after we have checked inside his car, we have found there was one pistol, five bullets, one . . . radio, his police uniform with his name and a captain’s rank and a number of press cards, which were issued by the Ministry of Information,” he said. “We asked him to show the gun’s licence and his police ID card or other related documents; he didn’t have it.”
Neither Pheap nor provincial court prosecutor Ouk Kimseth could be reached for comment.