Bangkok: A Thai man is accused of killing a former Cambodian opposition lawmaker and saying he did it to pay back, according to police on Sunday ( Jan 12 ).
After being accused of premeditated murder and having an unlicensed weapons, Ekkalak Paenoi admitted to the crime on Saturday in a video video.
A motorcyclist shot dead former Cambodian National Rescue Party ( CNRP ) lawmaker Lim Kimya on Tuesday as he arrived in Bangkok by bus with his French wife.
Hun Sen, the country’s eminently strong former leader, has been accused of ordering the shooting by Cambodian opposition figures, despite a government spokesman who has denied established involvement.
Ekkalak, who was allegedly a former paratrooper, was detained in Cambodia on Wednesday before being extradited to Thailand on Saturday.
Attaporn Wongsiripreeda, a senior police officer in Bangkok, claimed that the gunman claimed he took the job to pay a debt of gratitude to someone who had supported him during a difficult time following his dismissal from the navy.
Attaporn told a local broadcaster that Ekkalak claimed he did not receive payment, despite reports that claimed he was paid 60, 000 baht ( US$ 1, 700 ).
When contacted by AFP, Attaporn declined to provide more details.
A senior officers established reported on Saturday that an arrest warrant had also been issued for a Thai accomplice.
At a judge reading on Monday, police may seek to house Ekkalak- who worked as a motorbike taxi driver- in pre-trial detention.
Numerous Cambodian opposition activists have recently emigrated to Thailand to avert alleged home-based oppression. Some were detained and then returned to their home countries.
Rights groups accuse Hun Sen of using the legal structure to thwart opposition to his rule, despite the fact that he had been in power for almost four years.
Although he stepped over and relinquished control of the kingdom to his brother Hun Manet in 2023, he is still revered as a main force.
On Tuesday, Hun Sen called for a new rules to attribute anyone who attempts to overthrow Hun Manet’s authorities as “terrorists”.