The Panbang Dungkhag court in Zhemgang conducted the first hearing of the case involving the Goshing Gup today. The case had already gone through the lower courts and reached the Supreme Court in May but it was sent back. The Supreme Court had stated that a proper investigation on one charge was not carried out.
As per the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code of Bhutan, the appellate court may remand or send back the case to the lower court with instructions.
As per the order, the lower courts did not do a proper evaluation on the fuel-related embezzlement charges of the Gup.
In 2019, the Panbang Dungkhang Court had sentenced the suspended Gup to over ten years in prison.
He had been found guilty on ten counts including embezzlement, solicitation, fraudulent claim, and other official misconduct. The Dungkhang court also ordered him to restitute almost Nu 3 M.
After it was appealed, the case was forwarded directly to the high court from the dungkhag court to avoid conflict of interest. This was because the case was prosecuted by the present Zhemgang Drangpon while he was in the Office of the Attorney General.
In May, the High Court sentenced the Gup to eight years in prison for embezzlement of public funds.
The High Court had convicted him for embezzling public funds by inflating hiring charges and fuel procurement receipts. He was also found guilty of embezzling public funds by keeping fake wage records. The court had ordered him to restitute almost Nu 2.9 M.
The Goshing Gup then appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Anti-Corruption Commission investigated the issue in 2016 following a complaint alleging the gup of embezzling funds meant for construction of a gewog connectivity road.
Pema Seldon Tshering & Tshering Zam
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
