The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is appealing to the High Court to increase the prison term for Bhutan Postal Corporation’s former messenger charged for forgery and embezzlement.
The OAG is also requesting the court to recover Nu 5.1 M from the defendant.
In the judgement passed last month, Thimphu district court had sentenced the man to nine years in prison. He was also ordered to refund the embezzled money.
Considering the aggravating factor of the crime and the money embezzled, the OAG is requesting the High Court to increase the prison term.
Moreover, the defendant has not repaid the embezzled amount. As per the judgement, the defendant will have to refund the money within one year from the judgement’s date.
The OAG reasoned that it is relatively unfair to other embezzlement cases if the defendant is sentenced to a minimum prison term.
The OAG is also requesting the High Court for the imprisonment of a woman involved in the case. The lower court had acquitted her. The office is charging her of participating in an offence.
As per the Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigation, the defendant embezzled the money by making fake invoices and credit bills in between 2011 and 2015. He had increased the official bill amounts.
The Bhutan Postal Corporation first reported the case to police in July 2015 alleging its messenger of embezzling office money.
