A Phnom Penh Municipal Court judge handed down two-year sentences yesterday to three people convicted of offering prostitution out of a massage shop in Por Sen Chey district’s Kakab commune.

Judge Taing Sunlay said Chan Laem, 45, the massage shop owner, and Ly Chanroath, her 38-year-old manager – both women – were arrested last year, as was Khieu Sambath, 50, a male motorbike taxi driver accused of being a broker.

The shop’s female employees suspected of engaging clients were “educated” and released.

“The court decided to sentence them to two years’ imprisonment each and fine them 2 million riel [$500] to put in the national budget,” Sunlay said.

Lieutenant Colonel Keo Thea, chief of the Municipal Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit, said the three were arrested during a in July 2013 raid on the shop, in which authorities found a number of used and unused condoms.

The accused and their defence lawyers could not be reached for comment yesterday.