A former casino manager in Svay Rieng province, who was sent to jail earlier this year for cutting off an indebted gambler’s right index finger and mailing it to his family in an attempt to reclaim his money, lost his appeal yesterday.

An Appeal Court judge said there was no new evidence to reverse charges of illegal human detention and cruelty that earned Hang Loeuy, a 35-year-old employee at the Moc Bai Casino in Bavet City, a 15-year sentence in February.

Loeuy maintained his boss had ordered him to collect the $2,000 debt by detaining the victim, Nguyen Vinphing, in July, 2011, and that it was Vinphing who suggested cutting off his finger and sending it to his parents in an envelope.

Instead of sending back money, however, the parents sent a complaint to the authorities.

Two other Vietnamese nationals, who were staff at the casino and helped detain Vinphing, were sentenced in absentia to 15 years.

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