The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), last month, issued another freeze notice of over 19 acres of land involved with Damchoe Choden, the former project manager of Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation in Thimphu. The lands belong to nine individuals in Paro, Punakha and Thimphu.
The Commission, in August last year, issued a freeze notice on immovable properties registered in Damchoe Choden’s name.
ACC issued a freeze notice for about 14 acres of land in Dzomi, Kabisa and Barp Gewogs of Punakha on June 24. Of it, over 11 acres belonged to a joint ownership of three women while the rest were registered in the name of two different individuals.
Similarly, the Commission also issued a freeze notice to 0.16 acre land in Taba and about four acres of land in Maedwang in Thimphu and 1.2 acre land in Loong-nyi in Paro. The commission has also frozen any transaction of 0.12 acre of land owned in the same gewog.
With the latest notice, the total frozen lands related to the case calculates to over 20 acres. Accordingly, the ACC notified individuals, institutions and any business entity to refrain from engaging into any transactions of the lands in question.
The ACC detained Damchoe Choden, popularly known as Anim Damchoe, in June last year for suspected possession of unexplained wealth. The ACC alleged her for project fund diversion, fraudulent practices and tax evasion.
Damchoe Choden was managing the Buddha Dordenma Image Foundation as a manager. The chairman and the founder of the project suspended her from the office in August last year.