Phnom Penh: A police officer has been “sentenced in absentia” by Phnom Penh Municipal court to 13 years in prison plus a fine of $150,000 on Thursday for killing a barber last year. The incident happened at the capital’s Tuol Kork district. The manhunt against the suspect who is on the run, Ly Thary, continues since the murder happened on 26 September, 2020.

The victim was identified as Sok Soken, a father of four children with ages, 11, 9, 5 and 1. The victim’s wife reported that on that night, his husband was drinking with his friends outside of their house when all of a sudden, she heard a gunfire. To her surprise, it was her husband shot dead by the police officer.

Deputy Commissioner General and Phnom Penh Municipal Police Commissioner, Ek Thet, has stated that they still do not have the whereabouts of Thary after almost a year of searching. According to the investigation, Thary was a former police officer from Srah Chak police station, Daun Penh district of the Phnom Penh Municipal Police. He already had records of misconduct before he murdered Soken who lived near to his house.