"The attempts by bodyguards of Phnom Penh Governor Kep Chuktema to shoot their way through a Forest Administration checkpoint... constitute a serious breach of the 2002 Forestry Law," the group said in a statement late Monday.

"Global Witness calls for a criminal investigation of the incident and prosecution of those responsible," the London-based campaigners said of the Thursday shooting in Kompong Cham province.

The Cambodia Daily reported Tuesday that police allowed the governor's car and some others in his convoy to pass before attempting to stop a truck after it received reports it was carrying illegal timber.

"Our agency didn't want to stop the governor. If the governor had just left the truck... it would have meant that the governor helps to crack down on illegal logging," forest administration official Than Sarath told the daily.

"But unfortunately the group fired upon our officers," he added.

Kep Chuktema was unavailable for comment Tuesday but the daily said he had denied the shooting took place, instead alleging that officials fired on his convoy.

Global Witness, which acted as an independent forestry watchdog in Cambodia until it fell out with the government last year, said the incident showed forestry officials were at least being active.

"It is very encouraging to see the Forest Administration tackling what appears to be an extremely serious breach by a high-ranking official," spokesman Mike Davis said in a statement.

"Since its introduction in July 2002, enforcement of the Forestry Law has been largely confined to small-scale forest crimes involving poor villagers. In the meantime, well-connected timber businesses and relatives of powerful officials have continued illegal logging with impunity."

The group alleged that 25 to 50 cubic metres of wood was being transported and that "it is a near certainty that this timber was harvested illegally".

Global Witness had worked within Cambodia's Forest Crimes Monitoring Unit, set up several years ago to develop the government's capacity to detect and suppress rampant illegal logging in the kingdom.

TERRA.WIRE