Two Men Convicted of Drug Trafficking

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 20 August 2009 02:00

Phnom Penh Municipal Judge Court You Bunna on Wednesday convicted two men of drug trafficking. The first is Sok Sopheak, an agent of the Department of Fighting Drug Trafficking (DFDT), and a 28-year-old Vietnamese man, Nguang Phongyin, of the Paradise Restaurant in O’Russey commune , 7 Makara district of Phnom Penh, a court official said.
Sok Sopheak told that court that he bought the drugs on February 22, 2009 but claimed to be on a police investigation.
“When the police arrested me, I had 8 pills of drugs, but nothing more,” he added. The Vietnamese Nguang Phongyin told the court that Sopheak called him to “go for a walk,” at which time “he beat me and planted the drugs.”
DFDT police witness Tann Narith explained that “In fact, Sopheak is an agent of DFDT … but I do not understand why Sopheak filed a complaint to the court saying that as his boss I was responsible.”
San Sothy, another DFDT investigation, told the court he did not recognize Sok Sopheak as an agent “because anything he did, he never reported to me first; he only decided for himself.”
Sopheak’s activities of February 22, 2009 were deemed to be his own responsibility, despite his previous work on eliminating drug trafficking in Cambodia.
Prosecutor Sok Kalyan announced that “according to report and notes of DFDT, those named in this case, Nguang Phongyin and Sok Sopheak, the judge sentences both men according to legal statues.”
Nguang Phongyin claimed that there was no evidence implicating him in drug trafficking. H asked that the judge reconsider his verdict and release both accused men.
Some of those in court appeared to be surprised that Sopheak’s superiors did not recognize him. “Why did the DFDT not recognize their agent? But Sopheak who is well-known named Konkla Sar,” one of those in attendance was overheard saying.
The case judge will announce the sentence after deliberation.
Last Updated on Thursday, 20 August 2009 02:06