Murder case

FIVE suspects have been arrested and primarily charged in connection with the murder of a bakery shop owner, in what police have described as a “revenge” killing related to a land dispute.

Sim Ratha, 27, who ran a bakery on land owned by the suspects in Dangkor district’s Choam Chao commune, was killed on October 15 and his body was dumped at the Ministry of Defence.

Sear Sambath, chief of the Military police’s anti-crime and research bureau, paraded the five suspects during a press conference yesterday, with Sorn Voeun primarily charged with premeditated murder.

His sister Som Sophea, her husband Mon Sokha, police officer Chan Sereyboth and Ton Vichet, face primary charges of accomplices to murder.

“The perpetrator’s sister offered the land to the victim to run the bakery a few years ago, but when the land value rose the sister wanted to sell the land,” he said.

He said Sorn Voeun was believed to have shot the victim, and had previously been charged and convicted of murder in Kandal province in 2006.