Kampong Speu provincial police were questioning two men on Thursday following their arrest in Samrong Tong district’s Voasar commune for allegedly killing a 24-year-old man.

District police chief Khuth Sophal said the suspects, aged 54 and 42, are residents of Kandal and Kampong Thom provinces respectively. They work for a construction company that is in charge of the expressway project which will connect Phnom Penh to Preah Sihanouk.

The two were arrested on Wednesday, eight hours after the murder of Roeun Sarith, a resident of Voasar village in Voasar commune.

“Police are questioning them at the provincial police station’s Serious Crimes Department before filing a report to be forwarded to court,” said Sophal.

Serious Crimes Department chief Sam Sak said the 42-year-old suspect denied the allegation but admitted helping to carry the victim’s body from the construction site to be disposed at a canal 50m away from the scene.

“He claimed that he was unaware of who killed the victim but was asked by the other suspect on Wednesday at 6:30am to help carry the corpse from the construction site so the company would not be implicated,” said Sak.

The 54-year-old suspect also denied the murder allegation but said that days before the incident, the victim came to the site and caused a problem, infuriating other construction workers, said Sak.

When asked why he escaped if he was innocent, the suspect said he was afraid the villagers would kill him, adding that a few of them had witnessed them throwing the body away and accused them of murdering the victim.

“Police have yet to conclude the interrogation, but suspicion of their guilt cannot be avoided,” said Sak.

Voasar village chief Chhay Kim San said the victim served two years in prison for drug use and domestic violence. After his release about two months ago, he continued to drink alcohol, use drugs and cause trouble for the villagers.