Cambodian tycoon arrested after video of brutal attack on actress caused outrage
The property developer was detained when he arrived back in Phnom Penh after the premier had called on him to give himself up
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 18 July, 2015, 2:46pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 18 July, 2015, 2:46pm
Agence France-Presse in Phnom Penh
Cambodian property tycoon Sok Bun was arrested when he arrived at Phnom Penh airport over the attack on Ek Socheata, better known by her stage name SaSa.
Cambodian police on Saturday arrested a wanted property tycoon on his return to the kingdom after a video of his vicious assault on a popular TV star triggered widespread anger and a call from the premier to give himself up.
Wealthy businessman Sok Bun, who had fled to Singapore in an apparent attempt to evade authorities, was arrested on his arrival at Phnom Penh airport before being escorted directly to court where he faced charges, police said.
CCTV footage of the assault on Ek Socheata, better known by her stage name SaSa, in a Phnom Penh restaurant fuelled public outrage in a country where the wealthy are often seen to be beyond the reach of a corrupt judicial system.
Sok Bun, 37, was arrested on Saturday morning on his return from Singapore, national police spokesman Kirt Chantharith said.
“(We) sent him to the court. He faces charges of violence and intentionally causing injury,” Chantharith said, adding the court would decide whether to detain the property magnate.
WATCH: Sok Bun's attack on actress Ek Socheata in a Phnom Penh restaurant
Violence against women is commonplace in Cambodia but the public exposure of the attack has triggered a nerve in the country, dominating local headlines as the graphic video was widely shared on social media.
On Thursday Prime Minister Hun Sen joined calls for Sok Bun to face justice, asking the tycoon to hand himself in to police.
The attack on SaSa by Sok Bun and his armed bodyguard took place in the early hours of July 2 in a Japanese restaurant in the capital.
She obtained CCTV footage of the incident and posted it on Facebook four days later alongside images of her injuries.
The grainy footage shows two men beating a woman in a black dress, dragging her from a leather sofa and repeatedly kicking her in the head as she desperately tries to get up from the floor.
Sok Bun’s bodyguard is seen brandishing a handgun throughout the attack.
Cambodian television star Ek Socheata, better known by her stage name SaSa, posted a picture of her injuries on Facebook. Photo: AFP
In an interview on Thursday, SaSa said the argument began when Sok Bun made drunken and unwanted advances towards a Japanese friend.
“He used his boots to step on my body and head, he kicked me and he used his boots to stomp on my face and nose,” the 28-year-old said.
“I am aware of domestic violence (in Cambodia), but this violence was so cruel. His beating was not to scare me, he was trying to kill me.”
On Saturday SaSa said she was happy Sok Bun would now face the law.
“Let the judges and the court do their work, all I want is justice,” she said.
In a number of statements released through his lawyer Sok Bun has admitted carrying out the attack and pleaded for mercy from the public.
He also said he had offered SaSa US$100,000 compensation and had resigned from a number of trade bodies.
SaSa has said that the sum was later raised to US$200,000 but she had not decided whether to accept it.
