Residents of Battambang province’s Roka commune yesterday pushed the provincial court to expedite the prosecution of an unlicensed medical practitioner accused of infecting more than 260 people with HIV through contaminated injections.

Charged in December with murder for the widespread transmissions, local unlicensed practitioner Yem Chroeum has yet to be prosecuted, much to the displeasure of some of his former patients who are now HIV-positive.

“I’ve been waiting for the case for so long and my husband already died from [complications due to HIV], but I haven’t heard anything,” said Roka resident and former patient Reoun Ray.

“We owe a lot of people money for treatment, so I want the court to work on the case now and find justice,” added fellow former patient Klem Tut.

According to Battambang Provincial Court deputy director Kem Ravy, authorities have already finished investigations, and he has forwarded the case and is waiting for the director to promote it for prosecution.

As of last month, the national HIV/AIDS authority was still conducting its own investigation into the outbreak’s origins.