Preah Sihanouk Provincial Court yesterday charged three Indian fortune-tellers with cheating a 19-year-old Australian tourist out of $160.
Provincial police officer Kuy Sophal identified the three suspects as Randnawa Singh, 29, Singh Sawan, 19, and Nishan Singh, 18. All were visiting the country on holiday.
Mr Sophal said the three men were arrested on Friday afternoon.
He said they had been walking along O-Chheu Teak beach, where many foreign tourists were sitting, offering to tell peoples’ fortune in exchange for money.
The victim Rene Walter Geinger was approached by the three men as he sat alone.
They allegedly forced him to have his fortune told and extorted $160 from him before fleeing the scene.
Mr Geinger went straight to police after the incident, who tracked the suspects down shortly after.
Mr Sophal said they were arrested while they still had the victim’s cash, which was returned to him immediately.
The suspects have been charged with fraud and face between six months and two years in prison if convicted.
