A 52-year-old Cambodian comedian who was arrested on Saturday after firing his gun into the air in Phnom Penh’s Meanchey district has been released after he paid US$300 in compensation.

Kheng Tito, spokesman for the National Military Police, said yesterday that Thou Chamrong, known as San Mao, is also a colonel who works with Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Bodyguard Unit and was released on Sunday.

He added that Colonel Thou Chamrong was detained for questioning at National Military Police headquarters in Phnom Penh after he shot into the air five times during an argument between his family and a group of young men in the Bos Angkanch village of Prek Eng commune.

“San Mao was released in accordance with a compromise [reached] between the two parties who had a dispute with each other, and after he paid a total of $300 to the victims.

“We decided to release him because his shooting did not cause any person an injury or [result in] death,” he said.

Colonel Thou Chamrong said yesterday that he went to visit his relatives with his children in Prek Eng commune, but when they arrived an argument broke out.  

“I was arriving at the place [when] a group of young men argued with my children and planned to stab them. So, I went to stop them but they did not listen to me.

“In order to break them up, I decided to use my gun to shoot into the air,” he said, adding that he did not aim to shoot at anyone, but merely to break up the altercation.

“I’m not a gangster but I think that if I didn’t use my gun to shoot into the air, some of my children or I would be injured or killed from a beating from this group of young men.”

In a separate case, Kry Sok Y, deputy prosecutor of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, said yesterday that he would issue an arrest warrant today for comedian Chuon Chan Ratana, who is known as “Neang Kaay”.

“I will issue an arrest warrant which is my last summons to Neang Ka Ay, in order to bring her to appear at the court to explain fraud accusations,” he said.

He said that the purpose of the warrant was to bring Chan Ratan to court to clarify her involvement in the disappearance of five luxury vehicles after she rented them from a businessman in Phnom Penh named Koam Chanmony.

He added that the court had already issued three summons’, but she failed to appear or inform the court as to why she could not attend.

Chuon Chan Rathana was unable to be reached for comment yesterday.