A mother has lodged a complaint against two Battambang military officials for allegedly shooting at and kidnapping her 12-year-old son after he was caught fishing in a protected lake, police said yesterday.

Ny Sath, 36, is suing Captain Pov Bora, an officer in Ek Phnom’s Prey Chas commune, and his colleague Pich Veasna for allegedly endangering the life of Chea Sareth and for demanding about $500 for his release.

According to Friday’s police complaint, Sareth was cuffed and detained overnight at a military base, commune police chief In Veasna said.

“The soldiers fired four bullets above the victim’s head in order to stop him from running” and arrest him, he read from the complaint.

After Sareth’s family negotiated a lower price for their son’s release, he was returned to them the next day.

Deputy district police chief Long Sophal confirmed the events and that an investigation was under way.