Om Chhay, adviser for Cambodian National Assembly President Heng Samrin, committed suicide here on Tuesday morning during police detention over alleged involvement in drug case, officials said.
"I knew that Om Chhay died," Phnom Penh's Deputy Prosecutor Sok Kalyan said after conducting the autopsy of Om Chhay's body.
Om Chhay, also president of the Bantey Meanchey Provincial Commercial Chamber, killed himself by jumping off the building of the anti-drug authority of the Interior Ministry, leading to serious damage of his back and head, an official said on condition of anonymity.
At noon, the body of Om Chhay was handed over to his family for funeral ceremony.
Heng Samrin left for Malaysia on Monday and had denied any knowledge about Om Chhay's connection with the case.
According to Cambodian-language newspaper the Raksmey Kampuchea, Om Chhay was arrested on Aug. 15 near the border with Thailand, for being allegedly involved in the drug production case in Kompong Speu province, where the Cambodian police staged a raid on April 1 and arrested 18 people.
The chemicals found in the drug lab there were destroyed on Aug. 16. With the materials, over 54 million U.S. dollars worth of drugs could be produced.
In a related development, Chea Cheung, the alleged mastermind of the case, was arrested late on Tuesday in Savy Rieng province near the border with Vietnam and sent to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for questioning, police officers said on condition of anonymity.
Cheu was former adviser for Deputy Prime Minister Nhiek Bun Chhay, but Chhay denied any connection with him.
Source: Xinhua
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