The Supreme Court sentenced a former employee of the Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan to 20 years in prison. The apex court upheld the lower courts’ judgement that convicted him of embezzling public funds, tampering with documents, forgery, and participation in an offence. The court passed the judgment earlier this month.
Rinchen Wangdi from Gomdar in Samdrup Jongkhar served as a cashier in the RICB’s Paro branch office. He is found to have embezzled more than Nu 141 M of public funds. The investigation found that there were other individuals involved too. Their cases are being trialled separately.
While Rinchen Wangdi has already paid back more than Nu 27 M, the Supreme Court ordered him to again restitute Nu 63.2 M. His lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court to reduce Rinchen’s sentencing. The legal representative also requested the court to either reduce his restitution amount from the sale of his shares and by selling his seized properties and land, or to transfer all these to his wife and children. The lawyer also requested the court to summon 17 people who borrowed money from Rinchen Wangdi and make them repay the money thereby deducting it from his restitution amount.
However, the court said the sentencing is in line with the crime he committed. According to the judgment, he was found guilty of 234 counts of embezzlement, 58 counts of forgery, 33 counts of participation in an offence, and 226 counts of tampering with documents. He also absconded the country to Nepal in 2015 thereby incurring a huge loss to the RICB.
Earlier, the ACC’s investigation in 2015 revealed that Rinchen Wangdi’s years of embezzlement spree had started as early as 2011. He was known for his extravagant lifestyle, acquired properties and lent money to various individuals. It was also found that employees from BNBL were involved in committing as well as concealing his embezzlement of funds. The Supreme Court deferred the judgment of Heruka, the then field officer of RICB, Paro. He was found to have actively engaged in aiding and abetting Rinchen Wangdi to commit the crime by the lower courts.
Kinley Dem
