The government “surrendered” the Cabinet Secretary, Dasho Penden Wangchuk, Economic Affairs Secretary, Dasho Sonam Tshering and Foreign Affairs Secretary, Yeshey Dorji to the Royal Civil Service Commission.
A press release from the Cabinet Secretariat states the secretaries, as the members of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS), has exceeded its mandate.
It says they had discussed the allegations of corruption made by ENERTIA, an Indian publication in four consecutive meetings.
Sometime in September this year, ENERTIA had accused the former government, the former Prime Minister and the current Economic Affairs Secretary Dasho Sonam Tshering of corruption in PHPA-II and Mangdichu Hydro power projects.
The CoS had requested the Indian government’s intervention, through a letter on behalf of the government, without informing and consulting the foreign minister or the government.
“The content and language of the letter could have serious foreign policy implications,” states the release.
It also says the Office of the Attorney General had advised against raising the issue formally with the Indian government without the Bhutanese government first verifying the allegations and facts.
The release says the CoS have breached important provisions of the Civil Service Act and Bhutan Civil Service Rules governing the code of conduct of senior civil servants.
The release also says the Secretary of Ministry of Economic Affairs has misused the institution of the CoS to raise, discuss and take action on allegations made on him by foreign magazine.
The release goes on to say the foreign secretary misinterpreted the royal government by sending a formal letter to Indian government without the approval of the foreign minister and prime minister.
The government has asked ACC to undertake an investigation on the allegations of corruption on the appointment of the Bhutan Ventures Trading as agent for Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.
The government has also discontinued CoS until further notice.
