Cambodian tycoon’s attack on actress prompts uproar

The Phnom Penh Post reported Mr Bun’s lawyer Yin Sophy as saying on Tuesday that the tycoon has pleaded with Prime Minister Hun Sen to guarantee his freedom, allowing him “to fulfil my obligation as a father and husband”.

“I have asked Sok Bun to appear at the court very soon”, he said during a speech at a student graduation ceremony. Sok Bun is believed to have fled the country.

Hun Sen implicitly acknowledged the judicial system’s shortcomings and vowed that this time justice would be served.

Hun Sen, the country’s longtime authoritarian ruler, said he cringed as he watched the video. “What you have done is intolerable”.

Sok Bun made no immediate response to Hun Sen’s comments. An arrest warrant has been issued and a manhunt launched.

But the Phnom Penh Post said his victim, Ms Ek Socheata, who is known as Ms Sasa, has rejected the latest offer, comparing it to “waiting too long to put water on an out-of-control fire”.

Ek Socheata, better-known by her stage name SaSa, described to AFP on Thursday the terrifying moment when wealthy property magnate Sok Bun and his armed bodyguard attacked her in a Phnom Penh restaurant. The attack continues until a worker at the apparently empty restaurant manages to pull Sok Bun away.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of July 2, was captured by the restaurant’s security cameras.

“He pulled my hair and smashed my head against the floor”, Sasa told The Associated Press.

“I would like to express my regret for all of my wrongdoings which happened unintentionally”, a statement released on Tuesday read. Photos later showed bruises on her face and body. It was captured by the restaurant’s security cameras and obtained by Sasa, who then posted it online. As the discussion turns heated, Sasa throws her mobile phone toward the tycoon, which sends him into a violent rage.

“I wish to publicly apologise for my mistake”, he said.

He also announced to resign as the president of the Cambodian Valuers and Estate Agents Association and the director of joint ventures between his company and Singaporean partner TEHO-SBG global, which planned to invest 500 million US dollars in a real estate development project. “Give me another chance to participate in society and in the nation, and to restore honor to my family”.

Attempts to buy off actress and TV personality failed when Sasa, whose real name is Ek Socheata turned down the tycoon’s offer of $40,000 which was later upped to $100,000 to “make the case go away”.

In a further statement released Wednesday Sok Bun said he would return to Cambodia to face the allegations but only after he had finished receiving unspecified medical treatment.

Sok Bun’s conciliatory statements coincided with growing calls for his arrest, from the public and senior government officials.