The High Court sentenced Goshing Gup Sangay Lethro to eight years in prison for embezzlement of public funds. The judgment was passed today. In 2019, the Panbang Dungkhang Court sentenced the Gup to 10 years and three months in prison. According to the judgment, the charges were also reduced.
He is, however, appealing to the supreme court tomorrow.
The High Court convicted Sangay Lethro of embezzlement of public funds by inflating hiring charges and fuel procurement receipts. He also embezzled public funds by executing a fake muster roll. The court also ordered him to restitute almost Nu 2.9 M.
Earlier, the Panbang Dungkhag Court sentenced Goshing Gup on ten counts including embezzlement, solicitation, fraudulent claim, and other official misconduct. The dungkhang court also ordered him to restitute almost Nu 3 M.
Meanwhile, the court also sentenced a contractor to two years in prison for his involvement in the embezzlement of public funds. However, he can pay in lieu of his prison term. Two employees of Bhutan Oil Corporation of Gelegphu depot who were alleged to have colluded and inflated the bills with the Gup have been acquitted by the Court.
The case was forwarded directly to the high court from the dungkhang court to avoid conflict of interest as the same case was prosecuted by the present Zhemgang Drangpon while he was in the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).
The Anti-Corruption Commission investigated the issue in 2016 following a complaint alleging the gup of embezzling the fund meant for construction of gewog connectivity road in 2011 and 2012.
Meanwhile, the gewog is still without a Gup for almost five years.
Pema Seldon Tshering
