A National Police officer was arrested on Tuesday after he kicked a traffic policeman because the latter pulled him over for running a red light in the capital’s Sen Sok district.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when Sao Panha, who works at the Anti-Cyber Crime Department and holds the rank of major, was stopped by policeman Eurng Chamnan for breaking a traffic law on Monday.
The incident was caught on CCTV cameras and circulated widely on Facebook.
Though the traffic stop occurred Monday, Panha returned to the site on Tuesday and can be seen escorting Chamnan through a lot, after which the traffic policeman kneels down, hands pressed together, seemingly asking to be forgiven.
Then Panha kicks him in the chest and attempts to go in for another blow before he is stopped by another officer.
Chamnan yesterday said Panha ran the light and refused to stop his car at first. When he did stop, Panha began cursing at the traffic policeman.
“He cursed me for around 10 minutes in public. Then I was very angry because he insulted my mother, I cursed him back and said, ‘I am going to hit you with the walkie talkie’,” he said, though he did not hit Panha.
Standing at the same spot on Tuesday, Chamnan said Panha came back and dragged him into a garage and made him apologise, before kicking him.
Chamnan said he was embarrassed the video had been circulated on social media, but that he wanted to see Panha in prison.
“I want justice. I want him to be in prison for what he did to me,” he said.
Eng Sokphea, chief of the Criminal Offences Department, said Panha was still being questioned at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, with police looking to press the charge of “intentional violence”.
Court spokesman Ly Sophanna said that as of yesterday, Prosecutor Seang Sok was still questioning Panha.
Video of part of the incident, which has been circulating on social media:
Updated: Thursday 11 January, 7:38am
