Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sar Kheng has offered $10,000 to government officials investigating the brutal bashing of two opposition lawmakers as an incentive to solve the crime quickly, a ministry spokesman said yesterday.

The six-man team, overseen by Interior Ministry Secretary of State Em Sam An, is probing the savage attack on Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmakers Kong Sakphea and Nhay Chamroeun, who on Monday were dragged from their respective cars and beaten in the street as they tried to leave the National Assembly.

Footage of the attack, which occurred at the end of a pro-ruling party rally, was captured by several observers with smartphones and many of the suspect’s faces have been circulated on social media.

Interior Minstry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said Sar Kheng had decided to increase the incentive for the high-ranking officers to find the perpetrators.

“Samdech [Sar Kheng] encouraged the commission by offering $10,000 to complete this work quickly,” Sopheak said.

However, analyst Ou Virak said the “strange’ approach could backfire.

“If Sar Kheng was rewarding people for turning over evidence that would be a good thing, but to reward the police for doing their jobs would set a poor precedent for future cases.”