Besides convicting seven defendants involved in the Trongsa land scam case, the Trongsa Court ordered restitution of 4.73 acres of land at Thumang in Nubi gewog to the government. The land is registered in the name of one of the convicts, Karma Tshetim Dolma.
The court passed the judgment on Thursday.
The court prepared a 3767-page judgment sentencing former Trongsa Dzongda Lhap Dorji to a concurrent sentence of 5 years in prison for forgery, official misconduct and execution of documents by deception. His wife Karma Tshethrim Dema and former Draagteng gup Tenzin were sentenced to 15 years each in prison. But they will serve a concurrent prison term of six years each for forgery, solicitation and for influencing the witness.
Similarly, the former Drangpon Ugyen Tenzin was handed down an 18-month sentence for attempt to forgery. The court gave concurrent sentencing of 18 months each to former Surveyor Narayan Dangal and former Nubi Gup Phuntsho. The duo was actually convicted for two years six months and three years respectively. Another Surveyor, Kelzang Nima was sentenced to a year in prison.
The land scam surfaced in 2011 after a landowner from Tagtse lodged a complaint to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) stating that she did not sell her land to Karma Tshetim Dolma.
The court directed the prosecutor, the ACC, to discuss with the government if it is interested to acquire the resort constructed on the illegally acquired land at current value. If not, the convict, Karma Tshetim Dolma, will have to demolish the structures.
The ACC issued a freeze notification on the land in 2015. However, it was only the land’s transaction and not the building or its commercial activities. According to Karma Tshetim Dolma, the resort was worth Nu 300 M then.
The court also ruled that the ACC and the Parliament should amend the Anti-Corruption Act to ensure the care and custody of immovable properties after the ACC seizes them.
Passang
