The suspected creator of a Facebook post that alleged Prime Minister Hun Sen had died while on a medical trip to Singapore last week was detained and released by Phnom Penh police yesterday.

Teng Sino, police chief of Meanchey district, where suspect Det Mengkheang was arrested at about 8am, said that police had decided to release her eight hours later after concluding that “her name had been used by another”.

“Authorities will look for who stole her Facebook account for their own use. We will continue the investigation,” said Sino.

The Facebook post, titled “news of death” and shared last Tuesday on an account under the name “Kim Bopha”, shows an image of what appears to be Hun Sen laying in a coffin overlaid with text that reads “Hun Sen died after being cursed by the Khmer citizens in 2014. Please [may he] be in the seventh hell. Even if he has died, he will suffer forever!”

The post had garnered over 600 likes and 400 shares.

Ananda Yath, an adviser to Hun Sen, threatened legal action over the post.

Responding to the rumour on his own Facebook page, Hun Sen alleged that the post was crafted by supporters of a “political party led by evil men and professional cheaters” that “have always fled” when trouble arises, an apparent reference to opposition leader Sam Rainsy.

Hun Sen has warned that those who insult him on social media could face arrest.