The Dimapur Sub Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint (chargesheet) before the Special PMLA Court, Dimapur in the case related to the alleged misappropriation of public funds and substandard construction of the new Gauhati High Court’s Kohima bench complex. The prosecution complaint was filed against Avituo Sekhose, M/s Hexad Syndicate, Thepfusatuo Rio, Mhalelie Rio and Vibeilietuo Kets for alleged misappropriation of government funds while executing the work of the new high court complex. An official statement said that the ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Imphal Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on June 17, 2019. The case was registered by the CBI on the directions of the Gauhati High Court’s Kohima bench in PIL (suo moto) for the alleged misappropriation of public money and the sub-standard construction work of the new high court complex in Kohima.
The FIR was filed for the violation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, specifically alleging that the government servants of Nagaland Public Works Department (PWD) in criminal conspiracy with the government contractors have misappropriated the funds from the taxpayers while executing the work of the new high court complex.
The statement said that during investigation, ED found that Nagaland PWD officials have fraudulently inflated the costs of the work of construction of two retaining walls in the new high court complex and have paid excess amount to the tune of nearly Rs 80.25 lakh to government contractor Avituo Sekhose.
Similarly, the cost of the work for construction of high court complex road and footpath with chequered tiles was also inflated as part of the conspiracy between the government contractors and Nagaland PWD officials, resulting in the excess payment of nearly Rs 29.68 lakh to the firm M/s Hexad Syndicate and its partners Thepfusatuo Rio, Mhalelie Rio and Vibeilietuo Kets.
The proceeds of crime have been identified to be nearly Rs 1.09 crore. During the course of investigation, ED had also issued a provisional attachment order amounting to Rs 96.67 lakh. The investigation has revealed the involvement of several officials of the Nagaland PWD, leading to the huge loss to the public exchequer.
