Two Chinese men were held for questioning in connection with a Chinese women who fell to her death from a condominium in Phnom Penh’s Tonle Bassac commune on Thursday. Photo supplied
Two Chinese nationals were arrested on Thursday after a female Chinese national fell 12 storeys to her death on Koh Pich in the capital’s Chamkarmon district in the early hours of the morning.
But while the men continue to be questioned, Chamkarmon district deputy police chief Chhuon Meach Simolin told The Post that the police remain open to the possibility of suicide.
The police identified the deceased woman as “Mey Mey”, 41, who they said fell from a condominium near the Hang Bridge on Koh Pich in Chamkarmon district’s Tonle Bassac commune at around 2am on Thursday morning.
They said they have questioned her 28-year-old boyfriend who was staying on the 12th floor and his 29-year-old friend who was staying on the 24th.
Meach Simolin said the woman’s boyfriend claimed that on the day of the incident, he had told her that he wanted to break up her and that could be why she had committed suicide.
“That is just the boyfriend’s statement. We are still investigating the scene and waiting for the autopsy result.
“The boyfriend and his friend are still in police custody. They will only be released if we conclude that it is not a murder case.
“We have not finished our investigation. According to the currently available evidence and the men’s statements, it may not be murder.
“We are keeping the two Chinese nationals in custody while we conduct a detailed investigation. If we are certain there is no element of foul play, the boyfriend and his friend will be released,” he said.
Meach Simolin said Mey Mey fell from her boyfriend’s room, Room 56, on the 12th floor, while her own room was on the 17th floor of the condominium.
After a preliminary check by forensics experts at the scene, Mey Mey’s body was transported to Stung Meanchey Pagoda to allow her relatives to conduct funeral rites.
Forensic pathologist Norng Sovannroth from the Phnom Penh Scientific Autopsy Committee told The Post after completing the autopsy that the victim died from the impact of the fall, after fracturing her arms, legs and head.
He said his autopsy found no signs of any injuries before the fall.
However, he said any conclusion about how she came to fall from the building depended on the police investigation.
“My duty is to check the cause of death. It is up to the police to conduct an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
“We did not see any signs of inflicted injuries, and she died as a result of severe head and body trauma,” he said.
