The Phnom Penh Municipal Court on April 18 sentenced a man to one year in prison for cutting off a barricade tape in a lockdown area in Phsar Depot II commune of Phnom Penh's Toul Kork district last week. This marks the first case that a Covid-19 measure violator has been tried.

Dara Rath Sokun, 27, was arrested on April 15 after he cut off the police barricade tape used to cordon off a street to block people from travelling through amid the lockdown.

Municipal court spokesman Kuch Kimlong said deputy prosecutor Long Chiep had charged Sokun under articles 4 and 11 of the law on the control of Covid-19 and other deadly contagious diseases.

"Presiding Judge Long Vanna sentenced him to one year in prison," Kimlong said.

In a separate case, the municipal court also heard the case of Seang Raingsey, 35, who was arrested on April 17 for driving his car bearing police licence plate along National Road 6 in Chroy Changvar district in violation of the government’s lockdown order.

Kimlong said the deputy prosecutor had charged him under the same articles. But during his trial on April 18, Raingsey requested the court to adjourn the hearing so he could hire a lawyer. The hearing will resume in two weeks.