Friday, June 25, 2010

1.25-dollar debt leads to machete killing in Cambodia

Posted : Fri, 25 Jun 2010
By : dpa

Phnom Penh - A Cambodian farmer stands accused of killing his neighbour with a machete after an argument over a 1.25-dollar debt for a farming implement, national media reported Friday.

Yung Yat was charged with murder for killing Chhum Saroeurn, 47, in the central province of Kampong Chhnang after he went to his neighbour seeking payment for a hoe he had made, said Choem Bunthoeun, the provincial police chief.

Angered at the request for cash, Chhum Saroeurn picked up the hoe he had bought but not paid for and beat Yung Yat, 45, with it, Choem Bunthoeun said.

Yung Yat retaliated with a machete, killing his neighbour with a blow to the neck, the police chief said.

"Due to his temper, the suspect decided to kill the victim and confessed to the crime without regret," the official told the Cambodia Daily newspaper.

Yung Yat is in pre-trial detention.

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