Pusat police are on the hunt for a suspect behind the Saturday killing of a man at a bar in Phnom Kravanh district’s Samrong commune.

Mo Lida, the provincial deputy police chief in charge of serious crimes, named the suspect as Phuong Phen – also known as “Khen”, a resident of Leach commune. He also identified the victim as Uk Sokhom – also known as “Nget” – who lived in the same commune.

Eyewitnesses reported that prior to the incident, two men – including Khen – joined Nget and his friend while they were drinking, Lida said.

Moments later, the victim had a verbal argument with the rest of the group. Khen found a knife and stabbed Nget on the left chest. Witnessing the incident, their drinking partners tied the former and rushed the latter to the hospital. Unsupervised, the suspect untied the knot and escaped to the forest.

Phnom Kravanh district police chief said Khen and Nget were friends. At one point, when they got together, the latter cursed at the former. Khen then got angry and slapped Nget. The suspect eventually attacked the victim with the knife.

The victim, he continued, died on the way to the Phnom Kravanh district referral hospital.