Sentenced to decades in prison, disgraced cop faces more time behind bars if convicted of plans to murder Military Police Chief Sao Sokha

HENG Pov, Phnom Penh's former police chief who is serving 58 years behind bars for an array of criminal convictions, is expected to go to trial today on charges of conspiring to  murder Military Police Chief Sao Sokha in 2006.

The disgraced top cop's lawyer Kao Soupha told the Post that he doubted his client would receive a fair trial because the court's investigator, Interior Ministry Penal Police Chief Mok Chito, had a long-standing personal dispute with Heng Pov.

"Mok Chito ... has personal conflicts with Heng Pov, so the accusation is unfair," he said.

Mok Chito denied the claim, saying that he had no personal  or professional disagreements with Heng Pov, his former colleague.

"I have no problem with him," he told the Post last week. "He became angry with me when I investigated and found out that he was involved in criminal behaviour when he was my deputy police chief," he added.

Sao Sokha told the Post Sunday that he will not attend today's trial, but will send a colleague to represent him.

"I have no lawyer for my lawsuit but I will  send a representative to the court to defend my complaint," he said.

"My colleague knows this case because he was a witness to the suspect's confession," Sao Sokha added.

Heng Pov was arrested in 2006 in Malaysia, following a six-month bid for political asylum during which he blamed late National Police chief Hok Lundy for a battery of crimes.

Heng Pov has already been convicted of counterfeiting, illegal arrests, murder and extortion.