Phnom Penh municipal police are on the hunt for a former senior police official who has gone into hiding after firing gunshots during a heated argument with a counterpart from the Ministry of National Defence.

National Police spokesman Chhay Kim Khoeun said Kiv Sitha, the former deputy police chief of Kandal province’s Takhmao town and currently an official at the Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Internal Audit, fired three shots.

“[Sitha] didn’t own the gun. We have arrested the owner and are looking for the shooter [Sitha]. For more details, ask the municipal police, they know more about it,” he said.

Phnom Penh municipal police chief Sar Thet declined to provide details, citing an ongoing investigation.

“The illegal shooting cannot be tolerated and the shooter must be punished, but we have not determined how serious the punishment will be or whether we’ll take administrative actions. Let’s wait until he is arrested first,” he said.

The Ministry of Interior’s General Department of Internal Audit director-general Thim Sopha said Sitha was transferred from the Takhmao Town police station last week.

“He hasn’t started working here and I haven’t seen him yet. Let the legal procedure take its course. I wouldn’t take sides with a bad person. To maintain social order, we need to take action. Unauthorised use of a weapon like this is wrong,” he said.

According to a police report, Sitha had an argument with Chea Pichchenda, who took out a gun from his handbag and pointed it at him. Sitha then managed to grab a gun from another policeman and fired three shots to scare Pichchenda before fleeing the scene.

After the incident, Military Police officers inspected the scene and detained Pich Chenda, who was identified as the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defence’s Public Relation Office, for questioning over attempted murder.

The gun owner was also detained for questioning over careless weapon control.

National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court spokesman Y Rin said he was not aware of the case.