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Arrests made in Cambodia

A Cambodian policeman, left, guards suspects Keo Aean, 38, center, and Tang Pheng Chhiv, 21, in a Phnom Penh police station yesterday. The two were arrested late Wednesday for the murder of Taiwanese businessman, Lee Chim-hsin, 43, last Thursday. A 48-year-old Taiwanese businessman, Huang Hsin-chang, was arrested yesterday and accused of masterminding the murder. PHOTO: AFP

Police in Cambodia yesterday arrested a 48-year-old Taiwanese businessman, Huang Hsin-chang (黃信昌), in connection with last week's murder of Lee Chim-hsin (李志鑫), the head of the Taiwanese Business Association.

"It's a Taiwanese who murdered a Taiwanese, " Lim Ly, vice chief of the Police Office for Tourists in Phnom Penh, who was in charge of the murder investigation told the Taipei Times yesterday.

"Our Prime Minister, Hun Sen, ordered us to solve the murder to clarify [any misunderstanding over] Cambodia's reputation."

Huang was apprehended yesterday morning at the Hung Kuan Concrete Co (宏觀混凝土公司). He is suspected of hiring contract killers to shoot Lee because of his interference in the company's affairs.

Whether there were any other personal problems between Lee and Huang, Ly declined to say, adding that police would postpone announcing further details until the gunman was arrested.

Police apprehended two Cambodian suspects on Wednesday night and then targeted and apprehended a Chinese-Cambodian, followed by Huang's arrest yesterday morning.

"I am going to arrest the gunman tonight," Ly said yesterday afternoon.

Huang has confessed to the murder, Ly said. Huang said he paid US$3,000 to a Chinese-Cambodian to hire the gunmen, Ly added.

The Chinese-Cambodian kept US$1,000 and then employed two Cambodians to kill Lee for US$2,000.

Huang was handcuffed and is now being detained at a Phnom Penh police station. Ly said Huang would be put on trial in Cambodia. The most serious penalty for murder is life in prison. There is no death penalty in Cambodia.

Huang is a major shareholder in Hung Kuan Concrete Co. He did not attend Lee's memorial ceremony on Tuesday but the company did give US$50 to Lee's family as an expression of sympathy.

Liu Hsin-yi (劉信一), the former manager of Hung Kuan who had a dispute with the concrete company, was shocked by the news.

"I can't imagine that," said Liu: "The stockholders in Hung Kuan were all scrambling for power."

Upon hearing that Huang had reportedly confessed to the murder, Liu Chuen-shin (劉純興), with his left hand bandaged and lying in a hospital ward bed, also said he was surprised by the development.

He was with Lee in the car when a gunman drove by and shot at them on June 29. Lee was shot dead and Liu was wounded.

"Huang even came to the hospital to see me three times after the murder," said Liu Chuen-shin. "He also told me not to hesitate to ask for help if necessary."

"I would never have imagined the murderer was him," he stressed.

In Taiwan, Huang's son said that his father had only recently traveled to Cambodia and that to his knowledge, Huang and Lee had never met.

Liu Chuen-shin said he and his father had known Huang for over 10 years. Liu Hsin-yi invited Huang and other Taiwanese to invest in the concrete company in Cambodia in 1993.

According to Liu Chuen-shin, Huang used to live in Taiwan and went to Cambodia occasionally. The management of the company mainly relied on Liu Hsin-yi.

But in January, Huang and two other Taiwanese businessmen questioned Liu's ability to manage the company and left for Cambodia, Liu said.

In March, Huang and the other two Taiwanese held a committee meeting and asked Liu to step down from his position of manager. Liu agreed to leave but asked to get part of his stock, NT$5 million worth, back.

The total stock of the company is worth around NT$70 million. Liu owned 10 percent of the total but only asked for NT$5 million back, Liu said.

The committee consented to Liu's request but put forward an additional condition that Liu had to promise not to start another concrete company in Phnom Penh within one year. Liu accepted the condition and expected his stock to be refunded on July 5.

"We haven't received any money so far," Liu said.

Lee got involved in this matter only in June, he added.

Lee intervened in the situation, asking Huang and other stockholders to return all of Liu's stock to him.

"Huang and Lee knew one another. But when Lee dealt with the company he never directly dealt with Huang," Liu said.

"Except for this mediation, I can't think of any other possible problem [between Lee and the company]."

News of Huang's arrest spread around Phnom Penh quickly yesterday, leaving many Taiwanese businessmen shocked.

Huang came to Cambodia in late January. Many people said they were not acquainted with him at all.

"It's unbelievable!" was a common response from Taiwanese businessmen when they heard the news.

Some Taiwanese businessmen said this murder would "greatly impact the willingness of more Taiwanese businessmen to come to Cambodia."

But another said, "At least the murder has been solved. This will relieve many Taiwanese businessmen."

"It's just a specific accident, not related to politics or anything else. It was something far beyond our control," he said, adding, "We need a normal life in Cambodia."
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