Wife of Cambodian politician assassinated in Bangkok testifies in court
The court held a hearing on the murder case of a Cambodian MP. The victim's wife testified that no one helped her husband after he was shot.
Prosecutors filed a petition with the Criminal Court on Friday (January 10, 2025), to hear witnesses before formally filing charges against Ekkaluck Paenoi, who allegedly shot and killed Lim Kimya, a Cambodian political activist, on January 7.
The petition stated that police requested pretrial witness testimony because the witnesses are foreign nationals who would need to return to their home countries.
The two witnesses, both holding French nationality, reside in Cambodia and France. As key witnesses, they were scheduled to return to their respective home countries on January 11, 2025, making it difficult to summon them later. Prosecutors requested permission to take their testimonies before filing charges, and the court approved the request for January 10, 2025.
The French wife of Lim Kimya was one of the witnesses to testify. She stated that her husband was a financial engineer and a member of an opposition political party in Cambodia. She also confirmed that he had no history of conflicts or disputes with anyone.
On January 7, 2025, she entered Thailand with her husband and brother-in-law after a four-day vacation in Hong Kong. The family had traveled to Cambodia and crossed into Thailand via the Poipet border.
That evening, they arrived near Wat Bowonniwet Vihara in Bangkok, an area with heavy traffic. After disembarking from a bus with their luggage, they began crossing the road. Suddenly, she heard two loud noises, like firecrackers, coming from the front. She turned to see what had happened.
She saw a tall man wearing a T-shirt, facing her direction. At first, she thought he was just a passerby. Moments later, he got on a motorcycle and fled the scene.
A lawyer later showed her a photo of Ekkaluck to identify the suspect. She confidently identified him as thesame man.
She testified that after the loud sounds, her brother-in-law shouted that her husband had been shot. At that point, her husband was still alive but unconscious, having been shot twice in the back.
She attempted CPR to save him, but his condition worsened quickly due to severe blood loss. She called for help from bystanders, but no one offered assistance. After some time, police officers and medical personnel arrived. However, by the time she checked his pulse, it had stopped. She was certain her husband had passed away.
Her brother-in-law later stated that he saw someone acting as a spotter from a bus.
The victim’s wife estimated the shooting occurred between 5.30pm and 5.45pm. Following the incident, she provided her statement to the police.
On January 9, The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the fatal shooting of Lim Kimya.
The statement declared that France strongly condemns the murder of Lim Kimya, a French citizen and member of a Cambodian opposition party. France also emphasised that it would closely monitor the Thai authorities' investigation to ensure that the facts are clarified as quickly as possible.
