Por Sen Chey district military police detained a military official in Koh Kong province on Thursday after he paid to have sex with a masseuse in the capital, then refused to pay and fired six shots into the air to flee the scene on January 31.

Por Sen Chey district military police commander Seurn Keo Vanthy said on Sunday that the 27-year-old suspect was a military official. After his arrest, police forwarded him to the Phnom Penh Municipal Military Police.

Keo Vanthy noted he is not sure when the suspect will appear in court.

“In this case, police completed procedures already. Regarding information on sending the suspect to court, please ask Phnom Penh Municipal Military Police,” he said.

Head of the Criminal Division Bureau of Phnom Penh military police Maing Sokluch said on Sunday that he could not reveal any information, referring questions to National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy.

Reached by phone, Hy referred questions to the court. Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesperson Kuch Kimlong could not be reached for comment.

Kakab II commune police chief Pea Bros said that on the night of January 31 at 7:50pm, a man entered the Lyly massage parlour in Por Sen Chey district’s Kakab II commune in Phnom Penh.

The man called a transgender masseuse into a room and agreed to pay $25 for sex, after which he refused to pay.

Bros said that because the suspect did not hand the masseuse any money, she demanded it from him, leading to a scuffle. He said the masseuse plunged her hand into the pocket of the suspect and found only $2.50.

The suspect refused to hand over the $2.50 and attempted to flee, but the masseuse was holding onto his motorcycle, he noted.

A moment later, Bros said, the suspect withdrew a gun and fired shots into the air while standing in front of the massage parlour.

The sound of the shots caught the attention of neighbours and led to the masseuse hiding in fear. The suspect then got on his bike and fled.

“That shooting didn’t injure anyone. The victim told me that the person is a military official, but I don’t know which unit he belongs to. I saw six shell casings at the scene,” Bros said.

In a separate case, Phnom Penh police sent a man to court on Sunday after rescuing six trafficking victims, four of who were minors, last week.