The Supreme Court on November 10 sent a gun trafficking case to the Court of Appeal for rehearing.
The defendant, Chea Heab Hor, 20, was found guilty of trafficking 30 gas pistols and one gun in 2018 in Siem Reap province.
Judge Saly Theara said after listening to Heab Hor’s defence lawyer and the conclusion of the prosecutor, the court recognised that the defendant acknowledged his mistake and requested the lower court reduce the punishment.
The suspect told the court he has old parents and wanted a lower punishment so he could continue his studies.
“The court sees that the suspect is still young and has to pursue his education. He acknowledged his mistake, so the Supreme Court moves the case back to the Appeal Court to hear again,” Theara said.
Heab Hor’s lawyer Malis Kinika said her client is a scholarship student in Thailand majoring in management. In 2018, he returned to Siem Reap on vacation.
Kinika said her client saw a Thai Facebook post selling gas weapons. He ordered a $120 gas gun and asked the account owner to send it to Siem Reap. Heab Hor then sold it at $170 for profits. He also bought a real G-Lock pistol from the account owner at more than $1,000 and sold it for profits.
Heab Hor was arrested on June 5 last year.
According to the Supreme Court’s record, the three people related to the case are Heab Hor, Ly Tangchheng, 20, and Ly Menglong, 19. Police retrieved a total of 100 gas pistols, 300 air pistols and the real G-Lock pistol.
The Siem Reap Provincial Court issued a verdict on November 2 last year, sentencing each to five years in prison for trafficking weapons and ammunition under Article 488 of the Criminal Code.
Heab Hor appealed the verdict and the higher court reduced his punishment by one year.
