Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been fined by a traffic
police for not wearing a helmet during his motorbike ride last week in
south-western Koh Kong province, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
According to a traffic ticket slip, dated on June 18, issued
by First Lieutenant Sun Nem, traffic police officer in the province's Sre Ambel
district, he had monitored a motorbike rider named Hun Sen who had violated
article 6 of the traffic law and was fined 15,000 riel (US$3.75).
“Please go to pay the fine in Phnom Penh,” he said.
Hun Sen wrote on his Facebook page late yesterday that he
accepted the fine and would pay for himself and also the owner of the motorbike
who would also be fined the same amount.
“I have known in advance that even though I apologised
publicly, the police still fined me because I had made a mistake,” he said.
He added that the parliamentary immunity, which is enshrined
in the kingdom’s constitution, and other laws do not pardon any lawmaker or
prime minister from being penalised for breaking the traffic law such as riding
a motorbike without wearing a helmet or having a number-plate.
“I appreciate Koh Kong province’s Sre Ampel district police
who enforce the law without discrimination and without fear of the powerful
people including the prime minister,” he said.
The fine came after Hun Sen travelled to Koh Kong province
on June 18 and he unexpectedly visited a motor-taxi driver on the road side and
rode the motorbike with the motorbike’s owner for fun for about 250 metres
without wearing a helmet.
On Monday, the prime minister publicly apologised for his
mistake after Facebook users mocked him for failing to wear a helmet when
riding a motorbike.
- Bernama
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