Two ministries have appealed to certain media outlets and social media users to stop spreading misleading information related to last week’s murder committed by disgraced former Oknha Srey Sina.

The call was made following a deceptive comparison between a man in Kandal province's Sa’ang district who hacked his creditor to death last May and the murder committed by Sina last week.

At a June 26 press conference, Minister of Justice Koeut Rith stated that the debtor who stabbed his creditor three times to death while demanding 360,000 riel (about $87.50) was charged with murder under Article 199 of the Penal Code and is facing between 10 and 15 years in prison. He has not yet been sentenced.

“Why do they use this information to distort the facts with bad intentions, claiming that this person was sentenced by the Kandal Provincial Court to life imprisonment? This misinformation irresponsibly confuses the public,” he said, adding that it also undermines professional journalists who publish accurate information and educate the public.

Kandal Provincial Court has clarified the case publicly and is also taking legal action against those who spread the false information, Rith noted.

“It is an absolute distortion of the truth because the case has not yet been heard. It is still in the investigation stage … yet they say the case was already tried. See the comparison they made?” the minister said while holding up a copy of the post.

“For those compatriots who are unaware, this misinformation may lead them to believe that the court is unfair, thinking that the shooter who killed two people was sentenced to less time than the person who killed one person and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

“This deeply disappoints me. Some journalists, for their own benefit, dare to distort the truth and compare it to this case. Not only did they create confusion, but their intentions also angered the public with such untrue stories,” he said.

Rith added that he aims to protect integrity, and if a judge commits an illegal act, that judge must be held accountable before the law.

He mentioned that currently, disciplinary cases are sent to the Supreme Council of the Magistracy almost every day and are being dealt with one after another.

The minister noted that in Sina’s murder case, opportunists spread information that the accused was sentenced to only 10 to 15 years. In reality, he is in pre-trial detention and each murder will be tried separately, with each count carrying up to 15 years imprisonment.

“[False information] highlights only one side of the issue and spreads it, causing more confusion, despite announcements from the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and the prosecutor,” he said.

“I have repeatedly asked the media and compatriots on social media … to help spread the truth and avoid misleading the public,” he appealed.

Separately, Ministry of Information spokesperson Tep Asnarith on June 26 also urged social media users to immediately stop sharing and to delete any video or image content related to the murder or any other similar incident in the future. He stated that this behaviour is unethical in both social life and media.

“We do this to contribute to mourning and respecting the victims and their families, as well as to raise awareness and value living in society while respecting professional ethics,” he said.

Rith also expressed concern that the leaked video of the shooting was damaging to Cambodia's image.