Cambodia ex-police chief jailed

Heng Pov says he is being targeted because he is a government critic

A former chief of police in Cambodia has been given a seven year jail sentence for detaining a woman for more than two months without charge.

It is one of a series of brutality charges facing the former head of Phnom Penh police, Heng Pov.

Heng Pov was cleared of separate kidnapping charges on Wednesday.

He is already serving an 18-year jail sentence for ordering a judge's murder, and faces at least two more trials, for murder and attempted murder.

The court in Phnom Penh was told the woman was arrested in 2005 for attempting to bribe court officials to free her brother, who was accused of robbery.

She told the court she spent 70 days in detention. Under Cambodian law, a person can only be held for 72 hours without charge.

Heng Pov told the court he was not given orders to send the woman to court and was told by justice ministry officials the case was "out of his hands", the AFP news agency reports.

The court also sentenced Ly Rasy, an ally of Heng Pov's, to six years in jail for the same charge.

Deportation

On Wednesday, the court dismissed claims that Heng Pov was involved in detaining and extorting money from a group of people accused of human trafficking.

But he is expected to face trial over the death of a woman who was tortured while in police custody, and also the attempted murder of a newspaper editor.

Heng Pov was once one of the most powerful figures of authority in Cambodia's capital, the BBC's Guy De Launey in Phnom Penh says.

His rise seemed irresistible and he even became an adviser to Prime Minister Hun Sen. But he made some powerful enemies who pounced when the chance came, our correspondent adds.

While he was out of the country last year - after being sacked as police chief - police raided Heng Pov's houses.

They said they had found illegal guns and counterfeit money.

More serious charges soon followed, and Heng Pov was convicted in absentia of ordering the murder of a high court judge.

Soon after, Malaysia controversially deported him to serve his sentence, even though Finland had granted him asylum.

Heng Pov has alleged that he has been targeted because of his criticism of the government.