Breaking News: High Court Upholds District Court Verdict on Gyelpozhing

The High Court in a full bench verdict upheld and affirmed the Mongar District Court verdict on Thursday afternoon. The Acting High Court Chief Justice Sangay Khandu told The Bhutanese that the Mongar Court verdict was up held on three main points. The first was that the High Court found that the ACC has a right to prosecute the Gyelpozhing case. The second reason was that two Circulars on Urban plot allotment issued after after 1987 Royal Kasho was violated and finally the Municipal Act was violated.
This judgment effectively means that the former Speaker Jigme Tshultim, former Home Minister Minjur Dorji and 13 committee members have been affirmed as guilty by the High Court as found by the Mongar district court.
The Chief Justice told this paper that there was no change made by the High Court in the Mongar Court verdict.
The convicted have 10 days to appeal to the Supreme Court.

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70 comments

  1. I hope, theBhutanese and ACC are happy with the verdict. And I hope ACC is prepared to investigate all corruption cases that prevailed before. 

    • Yes ACC and the Bhutanese must now go all out and investigate all corruption cases which have happened much before the advent of democracy in Bhutan. 

    • aow… Phuntsho is feeing the pinch..(still in denial state)…sorry for the bad news…

    • hi phuntsho, every body knows you r the faithful to dpt coz bird with same feather fly together and dpt gov is corrupted and dat means you r also corrupted.
      actually if you r wise enough now you should respect THEBHUTANSE news paper,ACC, and court.
      how we can trust JYT, did you notice in last debate he was not accepting corruption case by his ministers in gyelpozhing and in the debate he was trying to gain the heart of innocent people by stating “HIGH COURT IS TAKE TIME FOR GYELPOZHING CASE”because there is big problem.big problem here means his ministers are having strong justification.but now i dont know what JYT will comment.

    • Flabbergasted

      Not just theBhutanese and the ACC, I as a citizen of this country, am satisfied with the verdict. But I believe that those accused were let off easy. They should be serving time in prison instead of paying thrimthue. People were imprisoned for much lesser crimes. JUSTICE should be fairly and equally applied to all citizens of this country.

    • In Thailand, citizens find any negative opinion of the king unthinkable, let alone commit Lese majeste or crime of violating majesty. Even the images of the kings are treated with much reverence as the king himself. There is this genuine undying affection and loyalty from his subjects. A foreign national was sentenced to jail for 10 years for defacing picture of king. The king, however pardoned him.

      Here in Bhutan, the ex-minister and ex-na chairperson after violating the royal kasho, municipal act, questioning the ACC’s rights to prosecute… can walk away by paying the thrim thue. Phuntsho, an offense violating the dignity ofa ruler (HM) as a representative of soverign country amounts to Lese majeste.

  2. @Phuntsho Why should the bhutanese and ACC be happy about this ….? still you are nt convinced …. oh  i see , u must be one of those chamchas or blind supporters of ????   

  3. Excellent!

    One question comes to my mind: Are the black-necked cranes still considered an endangered bird species? 

    • yes Black-necked Crane is still endangered bird species. We have to protect and support it.

    • At least a few of them seem to have become more endangered than ever before. The rest of them are worried what to do with them now – whether to leave them alone or to continue to fly with them. I think the rest of them should now leave the crane flock and join some other flocks. I will surely not like to continue with the crane flock any more, I am not a crane any more.

  4. I wished the jail terms should have been enhanced, made non- bailable and all those who benifited should be barred from any political careers if any one conesting.

  5. nothing is going to be done. time waste!!!

  6. Punishment is too less , This two guys should be behind the bar , what do u say folks . people  get imprisoned just for Nu 20,000

  7. winners are the holders of the truth

  8. OAG- for me you are ATTSARA, A Great joker! ACC,the Bhutanese,and the justices in Bhutan-i am trusting you!You are doing a great job! keep it up! DPT/JYT- the more i hear about all this stuff, the more dislikes you though you did great job for the past 5 yrs!

    • well said dorji, OAG is not more than an ATTSARA …that is well proven …stinks OAG

      • if such people exist in the system, things will never see the light and ultimately poor people will be the losers.

  9. the quantum of punishment is too less for the three… (chairman, minjur dorji and jigme tshitruim 

  10. Haha, no thought for the Land Allotment Committee members who were all junior staff of the Dzongkhag, now they have lost, not only their livelihoods, but also their post retirement benefits too. And the Committee members could just about have been any civil servant who happened to be posted in Mongar at that time.

    So ACC and this paper must be truly happy, great going guys.

  11. Mani Kumar Thapa

    OAG if you read this….SHAME ON YOU. Both district court and now high court verdict proves you are a coward and a spineless man. 

  12. Shouldn’t OAG also be questioned for having said that the G-case doesn’t warrant a court case.

    • NOW WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE OAG?????? FOR THE UPHOLDER OF LAW, WHO SAID THERE IS NO LEGAL BASIS. ACC SHOULD FILE A CASE AGAINST OAG NOW????
      THREE CHEERS FOR ACC, THEBHUTANES NEWS PAPERS, DZONGKHAG AND HIGH COURTS.

  13. But i am not satisfied with the Verdict. The Speaker was only given jail term of 2.5 year which is bailable and Home Minister one year. This Corrupted leaders have gone against ROYAL KASHO and Court must make the Serve in the Jail at least One year with out Bail which will set Good Example to other Leaders.

  14. Now is OAG fit to hold that office….Has he done his duty properly ? Many such questions comes to mind…RCSC and the next government may have to think over this…

  15. Please do not be so excited over the misfortune of Lyonpos and Committee members.Everyone will have adversity, disaster, tragedy etc in ones life that will make an impact on everyone.

  16. I hope they don’t appeal the verdict and while I do agree that the Ex Speaker and the Ex Home Minister did seem to have flouted some rules, my sympathies are with the committee members and their families, who just seemed to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    • Flabbergasted

      I agree, but this should serve as a reminder to people that one should not listen to one’s bosses blindly. People need to speak up and protest if they think something is not right. 

      There needs to be a system in place that protects people who speak up their mind against their bosses when they think the boss is making them do something wrong. 

      • Those days things must hav been different, if one just raised ones eyebrows he/she would have lost the job or may have faced dire consequences. Things have happened because of situation as per my opnion. There is a saying also: “Gonmai Kala Lyonchi Matok Lyonngi Mayed”. Just now we have all the agencies to approach to for justice like ACC,MEDIAS,GRIEVANCE CELLS etc. but not those days.

      • Now yes Flabbergasted.
        Those days things may have been different. There is saying also : “GON MAI KA LA LYONCHI MATOK, LYONNGNI MAYED”. If any subordinate raised his eye brows he may have face dire consequences including termination or imprisonment. Few years back prior to 2008, Drangpon used to straight away tell litigant” NGA GI CHE WOKAN NA TSOK SHAKWON MAY”. People used to shit in their pants.

      • Flabbergasted, please be reminded that during those days, things worked completely differently, anyone can in hindsight talk like you are doing and if you were had found yourself in a similar position, I doubt you would have protested. 

        Now, like you, I do believe that people will be more careful and some will be even more careful than others and would just refuse to sit on any committees, when this happens, it will effect the progress of the country as from now on, no one will be willing to take any decisions for fear of it coming to haunt you ten years down the line.

        The bottom line is that,  there are pros and cons to every issue.

  17. wht the OAG is doing i think he is having different law or afraid of the government who gave the post to him, whoever elected as a new govt they have to change him, he is a chickenhearted and he is a cat behind rats and small birds but not a tiger behind big animals.just relate the case of sonam tshering how he reacts. but when it comes to G-case simply saying no base.guys comments.

    • Obsesed Absurd General Robot(OAG) made by DPT to follow their shit only. This robot is just a shit don’t know shit in law.

  18. Is judiciary autonomous ? Do u feel verdict is right? How can we empower our judicial system? Other wise I don’t see our country is heading to a right direction. But very sorry with committee members. 

  19. They should be hanged to death

    • Dekchewaima!. How you are born human that too in Bhutan. You are not even fit to be animal who kills each other. What a pity!May God forgive you for being uncouth.

  20. DPT PRESENT DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE AT THE RTC BOASTFULLY SAID THAT HIGH COURT TOOK TIME TO DECIDE ON GYELPOSHING LAND SCAM BECAUSE THERE WAS SOMETHING WHICH WAS NOT RIGHT WITH MONGAR COURT VERDICT.
    NOW THE HIGH COURT VERDICT HAS GIVEN THE TRUTH ON THE SCAM.
    ALL THE WHILE I THINK DPT PRESIDENT HAS ALWAYS DEFENDED HIS CRONIES EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ALWAYS ON WRONG SIDE OF THE LAW.
    WHY CAN’T HE ADMIT WHAT WAS RIGHT RATHER THAN GOING HEAD ON WITH THE JUDICIARY AND CRITICAL MEDIA.

    • Flabbergasted

      The DPT president is a master at tweaking words and spinning lies and distorting facts. What else did you expect? He’s too good for himself. 

      The DPT president has proven that he can be a great leader, and I would have been proud to have my country represented by him. But his greed/ego/arrogance gets in the way, and his cronies surrounding him just makes it worse. 

      A great man ruined by his own greed and the companies he keep. 

      • We have had enough of PM defamation in English language. Let us switch on to Chinese, Korean, Arab, Hindi, Nepali, why not even Dzongkha and Sharchop to have wider coverage which should help to impact image of Bhutan.

        • It is better to have a true image of what we are rather than to project a false image of the country to the world. Every country has good and bad aspects and world deserves to know both sides of Bhutan too. Otherwise, it would be too artificial. This is not a stage where we see what we want to see, here we see what we see.

  21. Is it being superior bureaucrat, they were given only 2.5 years term? They broke the law, even not heeding our Royal Kasho. Where is the justice to those people who lost their land for more than a decade? Please, one rule of law across all section of people, under one nation one people.

  22. OAG should be removed and Mongar Drangpon should take up this post. I believe the later will stand up to his responsibility unlike the puppet current OAG.

  23. No one lost land, it was only allotted to not illegible people? The land is in Gyelposhing intact. There was no flood since its allotment from 2001. Three cheers

  24. I can just about picture the smug faces of Aum Neten and Tenzing Lamsang for having ruined the lives of 13 Committee members and their families, Bravo to ACC and The Bhutanese.

    • Tobden Chenpo

      Ruined? 
      What about those poor people and villagers from whose land was snatched and grabbed like a greedy wolves? What about them? What about those without voice, suffering the wrath of powerful and influential people? Life is about consequences and one must bear it, here or afterlife. It is not about Aum Neten and Tenzin Lamsang. It is a triumph for all the people who has been wronged by the people of authority who failed their duty in diligence. It is a hope for people who were subjugated by oppressive indulgence of few. May Justice Prevail to protect and be a shield to the weak and helpless.

      • The land was not grabbed, it was just allotted unfairly for which the Ex Speaker and the Ex Home Minister have been punished. I still maintain that the other 13 or so Committee members did nothing wrong, in those days, whatever the Chairman suggested, everyone would go along with it.

        My view is that the ACC should not have prosecuted the Committee members, period.

  25. OAG is DPT chamCHA!

  26. No I am not happy with the verdict. A verdict in my opinion is passed to appease the public. Need the courts’ decision be influenced by the Medial and Public opinion? Don’t you think the Judiciary is just playing safe? Are the sentencing of the chairmen and the committee members good enough? 

    You all can call me what you want. Whether I am affiliated to DPT or not, whether I am corrupt or not, is for theBhutanese and ACC to find out. But you all must also retrospect deep into yourselves and your families. I won’t be surprised if some of you are the offshoots of a Roller Coaster Corruption. 

    However, I do not agree with some of the statements JYT made with respect to Gyalpozhing case. He made mistakes there. But I find it unfair to attribute the corruptions of pre-democratic Bhutan to JYT and DPT, for that matter to any Political party which may form the government. I will remain corrected however, that if you convince me that there were no other corruptions during that period of time or before. 

    • Flabbergasted

      JYT and some ministers were part of the people in power during the time of the case. They themselves had applied for and acquired lands which they knew were wrong. Blaming DPT is not fair, I agree, but blaming JYT and the others involved is only fair and just. These are the consequences of their actions.

      • Alright, your point well taken. Do you reckon such discrepancies and corruptions only happened in Gyalpozhing? Why is ACC is not investigating the Bhutan Lottery Scam, why is ACC not investigating Chang Ugyen’s Land scam case? How do you think, many old ministers got huge area of land in prime areas? I clearly remember, Aum Neten’s word “we do not need anybody to ask us to investigate any case”. Bhutan Lottery, Chang Ugyen’s case do not merit investigation? Is ACC investigating yet another case in Gyelpozhing, who the people complained few months ago? I don’t agree that members and leaders of other political parties are clean either. 

  27. And yest Bachu Phub’s RCSC is ready to rub salts in the cuts of those civil servants. And I can imagine a grin in his face and the preparedness that they had made. 

  28. I am dying, utter bullshit of this nation. I was among the first to point out if Judiciary is independent, if yes how comes who caused the civil war those days are not prosecuted?

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