Reporters summonsed in closed Chut Wutty case

May Titthara
Tuesday, 08 May 2012  Phnom Penh Post

Two journalists who were present when environmental activist Chut Wutty and military police officer In Rattana were killed last month have reportedly been summonsed to Koh Kong provincial court.

Neang Boratino, Koh Kong provincial co-ordinator for the rights group Adhoc, said court sources had told him Canadian Olesia Plokhii and Cambodian Phorn Bopha would be questioned on May 17, even though an investigation into the incident was officially wrapped up at the weekend.

“What the joint investigation did is very fast, because the court had not questioned all the witnesses who were involved, yet it announced a close to the investigation,” Neang Boratino said, adding he had seen the summons.

But Koh Kong provincial court clerk Chhin Long and other court officials would not confirm yesterday that the summons had been issued.

Neither of the reporters from the Cambodia Daily could be reached for comment yesterday, but both reportedly did not witness the shooting directly. Plokhii has left the country.

The five-member joint investigative committee examining the case announced on Friday it had concluded that Chut Wutty, 48, was shot by military official In Rattana, 31, who was then accidentally shot when security guard Ran Boroth tried to disarm him.

On the same day, the Koh Kong provincial court charged Ran Boroth, 27, with unintentional murder, an offence that carries a one- to three-year jail term.

The shootings took place at Veal Bei Point, in Mondul Seima district’s Bak Khlang commune after a dispute erupted when Ran Boroth reportedly tried to confiscate the memory card from the camera of Chut Wutty, who was taking photos of timber stockpiles.

Ran Boroth works for the company Timbergreen, which is licensed to clear the reservoirs of the Lower Stung Russey Chrum dam project, in the same district where the shooting took place.