Monggar District Court acquitted Tsakaling Gup and four other people who were charged with abuse of functions, deceptive practices, official misconduct, and aiding and abetting. It was during the farm road constructions in Tsakaling, Balam and Chhaling Gewogs in 2016-2017 Financial Year. The court passed the judgment on Monday.
Office of the Attorney General (OAG) charged Tsakaling Gup with abuse of function or position while awarding a farm road construction in the gewog worth more than Nu 3 M to his wife’s relative. Machinery from the wife’s hiring firm was then hired by the relative. The Gup was charged with the deceptive practice for the hiring of machinery and claiming false bills from two-farm road constructions in Balam and Chhaling Gewogs. But the court acquitted the Gup of all charges. The judgment states that the contract work in Tsakaling gewog was awarded by the gewog monitoring and evaluation team as per the Procurement Rules and Regulations 2019. And there is no evidence of deceptive practice.
OAG had also charged the Gup’s wife with five counts of deceptive practices, and false and misleading written statement while hiring machinery and claiming bills during the construction of farm roads in Balam and Chhaling Gewogs. But she was also acquitted since the court found she had followed the contract agreement.
The relative, who is the owner of another hiring unit, was charged with aiding and abetting the gup and his wife while constructing farm road in Tsakaling Gewog. However, the judgment states there is no violation of the contract agreement.
The court also acquitted two former Monggar Dzongkhag Engineers who were charged with official misconduct for approving bills without crosschecking. The judgment said according to Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulations 2018, they are liable only for administrative action. Anti Corruption Commission investigated the case in 2018 and the trial began last year.
Sonam Tshering
