The Ministry of Home and Culture Affairs terminated 27 immigration officials involved in bribery, manipulation, and fraud case. The officials have had been under suspension for over a year.
Anti-Corruption Commission had forwarded the case to the Office of Attorney General in January, last year.
The regional immigration office in Phuentshogling is yet to receive it though the termination order came in on February 4.
The letter was sent following the courts’ verdicts.
Phuentshogling Dungkhag Court and district court had pronounced 27 guilty of the 31 immigration officials involved in the case.
Two were acquitted and the judgment for one has been deferred.
Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulation says a civil servant shall be terminated from service if he is convicted by the Court of Law for an offence of misdemeanor and above, related to official functions.
ACC had booked 83 people in total after some officials from foreign worker recruitment agency bribed the immigration officials to extend foreign workers’ duration of stay in the country.
Upon receiving the bribe, the immigration officials manipulated the workers documents and extended the deadline.
Apart from immigration officials and recruitment agencies, some police personnel and taxi drivers were also involved.
Of the 83 involved, Phuentshogling courts have sentenced 77, deferred the judgment of four and acquitted two.
