The Anti-Corruption Commission’s Annual Report 2024–2025 exposes deep-rooted corruption in Bhutan’s forestry sector. One major case is the financial year 2018-2019 Khotokha Forest Management Unit scandal in Wangdue Phodrang, where over Nu 8.5 M was embezzled.
The commission’s investigation focused on systemic misuse of authority and revenue manipulation.
It was a case of embezzlement and abuse of functions involving forestry officials.
Officials at the forest management unit manipulated the RAMIS system by cancelling receipts to hide actual collections and divert the money. They also changed receipt copies to show less timber and compensation, resulting in embezzlement of over Nu 2 M.
46 falsified orders allowed unauthorised timber transport, causing a loss of about Nu 3.6 M.
Timber was released without legally mandated fines, adding about Nu 2.3 M in losses.
Officials claimed more than Nu 200,000 by pretending they had collected fines, even though no such fines were officially recorded or collected.
An official, together with a private sawmill manager, misused official timber movement order booklets to facilitate illegal extraction and submit fake claims.
Six individuals have been implicated, including five officials and one private individual. `
The case was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General in March and was under review as of June.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Tandin Phuntsho
