A traffic accident occurred at Phnom Penh’s Russey Keo Flyover, in Russey Keo district, on January 20. - Photo: BTV
PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet has requested the Ministry of Justice to seek a review of the five-year prison sentence given to a drink driver who caused an accident that killed four people at Russey Keo Bridge in January.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Royal University of Law and Economics on Thursday (Sept 26), Manet stated that the court had confirmed the sentence as the maximum penalty for traffic accidents.
However, he called for a review to determine whether additional legal measures could be applied in such a serious case involving multiple fatalities.
“I instruct the justice ministry to use its injunctive authority to authorise the prosecutor to appeal the court’s decision and review whether the sentence is sufficiently severe, given that four people lost their lives. This is a critical issue,” he said.
“The task now is to review the case. Justice minister Koeut Rith, please assign the prosecutor attached to the appeal court to file an appeal and evaluate whether the court’s decision aligns with legal standards for severity. This case has far-reaching implications and serves as a precedent for other drink drivers,” he added.
Manet suggested that if the current sentence is found appropriate under existing laws but still considered inadequate, legal amendments should be considered to impose harsher penalties on drink drivers who cause fatal traffic accidents, particularly in cases involving multiple deaths.
On January 20, a pickup truck driver named Neang Sam Oun, 56, caused an accident while driving under the influence, resulting in the deaths of four people.
On September 25, the court sentenced him to five years in prison and fined him 20 million riel (about US$4,900), the maximum penalty under Article 85 of the Law on Road Traffic.
However, the decision has faced criticism from some individuals who argue that the sentence is too lenient. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
