The Tashicholing Dungkhag Court in Samtse sentenced the former Norgaygang Gup to two years and six months in prison for illegal construction of a farm road in Norgaygang Gewog in 2020. The court passed the judgement yesterday. Along with the former gup, the former Norgaygang Mangmi and the former Joenpang-Linggarnang’s Tshogpa were also sentenced to one year and three months in prison for their involvement in the same case. However, they can all pay in-lieu of the prison term.
The court convicted former Gup Rinchen Dorji of illegal construction of Access Road as per the Road Act, construction of road without environment clearance as per the Environmental Assessment Act, and Encroachment on state land as per the Land Act. He was also found guilty of official misconduct, malicious mischief, and breach of public order and tranquillity as per the Penal Code of Bhutan.
Former Mangmi Golay and former Joenpang-Linggarnang’s Tshogpa Karchung were convicted of accomplice liability for malicious mischief and breach of public tranquillity as per the Penal Code of Bhutan.
As per the judgment, the three former local leaders have to pay a compensation of Nu 804,902 to the government for public money spent on the construction of the illegal Chugu farm road.
Meanwhile, the court also convicted former Norgaygang Gewog Administration Officer Yeshi Rangdol and gewog engineer Aimen Limbu of failing to report the crime. They are ordered to pay a penalty of Nu 3,750 each.
The Samtse Dzongkhang Administration received an application from the Norgaygang Gewog asking for approval for the construction of Satsangma to Joenpang and Joenpang to Chugu farm road in 2019. However, the dzongkhag did not approve the construction of the 1.5-kilometre Chugu farm road on security grounds and its proximity to the border.
The gewog again applied for approval and the Dzongkhag Administration then wrote to the Department of Law and Order for approval but did not receive any response. Then a new road alignment without taking the farm road towards Chugu was proposed and agreed upon by the people. But later the gewog constructed the Chugu farm road which was not approved on security grounds. The Office of the Attorney General forwarded the case to the Dungkhag Court in October last year.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Sonam
