Counter-Terrorism Bureau Chief Suspended for Pulling his Gun in a Restaurant
Thlang Phinra, chief of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau at the Ministry of Interior, is shown in this video posted on social media threatening a restaurant owner in Phnom Penh on Sept. 20.
- Phoung Vantha
- September 25, 2020 11:16 AM
The restaurant owner is suing him and seeking $100,000 in compensation
PHNOM PENH--Thlang Phinra, chief of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau at the Ministry of Interior, was suspended from work on Sept. 25 for having used a gun to threaten the owner of a restaurant in Tuol Kork District in Phnom Penh.
National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khouen said that his suspension was enforcement of police-force discipline and that this step was taken to pave the way for court proceedings.
In a video widely circulated on social media, Phinra was seen holding his gun in Angkor Chum restaurant.
Chuy Sok Heng, the restaurant’s owner, filed a complaint with the Ministry of Interior, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and the Bar Association of Cambodia, seeking $100,000 in compensation and demanding that action be taken against Phinra. According to his complaint letter posted on Facebook, the incident took place on Sept. 20.
This is the second time this month that a police officer or official has come under scrutiny for misconduct. On Sept. 9, Kampong Thom Provincial Police Commissioner Ouk Kosal was fired following an investigation that found him guilty of sexual harassment of women officers.
