DELVING INTO DAVE WALKER’S DISAPPEARANCE

A Siem Reap-based Australian consultant investigative agent delving into Dave Walker’s disappearance has castigated aspects of the investigation. In a media release he said, “What has been, so far, a civilised search for a missing person is in danger of becoming a circus. The objective is changing from finding Dave Walker to fighting about the credit before Dave has been found. All parties involved need to reexamine their priorities and ensure that Dave remains the number one priority.

“Infighting among those investigating his disappearance at this time seems spectacularly inappropriate.”

The agent has been furnishing reports to police in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh and, via a friend of Walker's, to police in Edmonton, Canada.

During the past week, Phnom Penh-based corporate lawyer Bradley Gordon has been in town, retained apparently on a pro bono basis by Walker’s family in Canada to cast a discerning eye over the investigation to ensure its effectiveness.

Gordon questioned the agent’s offsider at Genevieve’s Restaurant in Sok San Road, a road that houses severely venues, including the Karma Bar and Café, where Dave frequented and met certain parties on the suspect list.

A discussion between the lawyer and the investigative agent also, according to the agent, became heated with accusations that the agent had not interviewed a leading suspect as he had reported.

But apparently the agent and the lawyer are now on better terms following apologies.

At the same times moves were afoot to “rehire” a colorful Thai-based private eye, Peter ‘Razor’ Slade, to come to Siem Reap not so much to delve into Walker’s disappearance, but to investigate the investigator, the aforementioned Australian agent.

Talk of hiring Slade to initially investigate Dave’s disappearance first surfaced on February 23. Friends of Walker’s pledged several thousand dollars to pay for Slade’s services, but the deal fell apart when one person involved in the investigation threatened to expose Slade to Cambodian authorities if he dared arrive in Siem Reap. That same person warned other people in Siem Reap to not talk to Slade if he did arrive in town.

Now ironically Razor Slade is back in favour with those with whom he was originally in disfavour, and last week there was a move to engage his services, this time to investigate the credentials of the consultant investigative agent. But, seemingly due to a lack of funding, Slade as yet has not arrived in Siem Reap and it seems doubtful, sadly, whether he will grace our fair city with his rather interesting presence.

Meanwhile new photos of Dave Walker, which for some odd reason had been held back from release for quite some time, have now been released. These were taken on the evening of February 13, about 16-18 hours before his disappearance on Valentine’s Day, February 14. The old Find Dave Walker Facebook Group was suddenly shut down on Sunday March 16 on the advice of the lawyer retained by the family. But a new Facebook Group has been set up and the new photos can be viewed there, on https://www.facebook.com/groups/FindDaveWalker/.

BUS BLUES BULLETIN

Siem Reap Provincial Deputy Governor Sun Run has responded to a letter to the governor pointing out that Street 6, where the Phnom Penh’s Siem Reap Bureau is situated, descends into madness at night when large buses take over and park in the narrow street, often blocking traffic.

In a reply letter, the deputy governor wrote, “Following this suggestion, we would like to advise the Siem Reap provincial police chief and the Siem Reap city governor to take quick action to bring order to Street Number 6 to prevent the anarchy of bus parking, and to avoid traffic jams.”