A guard in Kampong Cham province was arrested yesterday on suspicion that he helped six inmates, including murderers and a rapist, escape from the provincial prison.

Provincial deputy police chief Chim Seng Hong said the suspect, Mea Manit, had been sent to court for questioning over the breakout, which occurred on Monday.

“The suspect has confessed that he bought a saw for prisoners to use to cut the [barred] window and escape,” Seng Hong said, adding that two other people were under investigation in relation to the incident at the 853-inmate prison.

Three have since been re-arrested, while Long Bunpheng, who is serving 15 years for rape, murder and robbery; Ly Long, who has been sentenced to 56 years for a series of robberies; and Lek Tong, who is part-way through a 30-year sentence for murder, remain on the run.

Kuy Bunsorn, director of the Ministry of Interior’s general department of prisons, said the suspect had been sent to court to be charged.

Prison director Hou Puthvisal declined to comment yesterday.

The escape of the six prisoners followed five men fleeing out a window of Battambang Provincial Prison in April.

Last month, a man in Banteay Meanchey province and another in Kampot province asked to use the bathroom during their court hearings, then used their toilet break to make a run for it.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kim Sarom at [email protected]