Foure men were sent to Kandal provincial court on Monday after their arrest the previous day for allegedly strangling a man to death on January 12 in Kandal Stung district’s Trapaing Veng commune.

Touch Inan, provincial deputy Military Police commander in charge of justice, said on Monday that the four killed Khorn Sarath, 19, a former friend, after an argument over money.

They were identified as Prom Vada, 31; Prom Sambath, known as Yuon, 19; Porng Samnang, known as Pov, 18; and Morm Hort, 25.

“They admitted to killing the victim out of revenge after an argument. They claimed they killed him because the victim lied to them,” he said.

He said the suspects took Sarath to a karaoke parlour in Trapaing Barkou village at around 12pm on January 12 after he said he could pay them.

‘Strangled to death’

The suspects repeatedly asked the victim about the money, but he then told them he didn’t actually have any.

The victim then walked off, which angered the suspects. One attacked Sarath, and the others joined in before he was strangled to death with a belt. The body was dragged away and covered with straw before the suspects fled.

A villager found the body on January 30 and reported it to authorities.

Military Police working with relevant authorities launched an investigation and apprehended the suspects one after another over three days in Prey Veng province and Phnom Penh, Inan said.