Political parties accuse DPT of double standards in Dasho Dr Gado Tshering’s candidature

yogaParties says former Secretary is tainted with the multi-million MoH procurement scam

For a party that coined the famous slogan of ‘Zero Tolerance to Corruption’ the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT)  is under attack from political parties and critics for the candidature of Dasho Dr Gado Tshering, the former health secretary who resigned over moral grounds in the Ministry of Health procurement scam.

Critics have pointed out that on numerous occasions the government and the former Health Minister Lyonpo Zangley Drukpa had directly and indirectly held the Health Secretary responsible for the procurement mess in the MoH.

In an interview with a newspaper earlier the former Health Minister in response to a question on corruption in the MoH procurement had said, “These practices in the MoH has been going on for a long time before I joined. As a minister I am not the member of the tender committee which is chaired by the health secretary as an ex-officio member.”

In response to a question on the ACC and RAA investigation reports on MoH the health minister in February 2011 had said, “Tender committee member have to be accountable and that was why I insisted that the health secretary Dr Gado Tshering and Director General Dr Dorji Wangchuk who are tender committee members should be present at the exit meeting with RAA on their special audit report on the procurement of drugs. The tendering process has been a problem. The tender committee members must thoroughly read the terms of reference and the contract conditions. The committee members should be administratively responsible and also be held responsible if there are irregularities.”

The ACC investigation into the MoH procurement was triggered off after a news report of tender committee members in the middle of a tender accepting a 10 day trip abroad from one of the bidders to places like Bangkok and Amsterdam. The trip had been authorized by a committee chaired by the former Health Secretary.

The ACC and RAA report had damning indictments of the MoH procurement system that overpaid for essential drugs and medical equipments and also compromised on their quality. Many MoH employees were also booked on corruption charges by ACC and audit memos were issued by the RAA.

The former health secretary was a member of the tender committees over the years and even chaired it for many years since his tenure as health secretary from 2005 to 2011 though he was himself directly was never booked by ACC or RAA.

The ACC investigations uncovered a massive system of collusion where medical suppliers paid off MoH staff to influence tenders and even the price of items. ACC found overpayments, defective and non functional equipment, flawed tendering process, excessive ordering etc. In one instance ACC found that a plastic bucket worth Nu 600 was bought for Nu 7,500 by the tender committee while in another case a treadmill that could be obtained for Nu 93,000 was got for Nu 1.3 mn. Even key equipment like baby incubators that provide life support system to weak babies was found to be defective.

The RAA report on drugs also had strong findings where it was found that the procurement committee overpaid for drugs and bought poor quality drugs that would pose a risk to the life of patients. For a period of from July 2008 to June 2009 when the incumbent government was in office the RAA found around Nu 88 mn worth of irregularities in the procurement of drugs.

The ACC investigation who had covered millions in defective equipment and overpayments was inflated by around 21 times when on the ACC’s recommendations the MoH did a checklist of its medical equipments.

In the last five years from 2005 to 2010, the procurement budget was Nu 1.231bn worth of medicines and equipments with equipments taking up around 60% of the pie.

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa spokesperson Dr Tandi Dorji said, “There may not be any legal issues as he resigned accepting moral responsibility for the MoH procurement scam and got all necessary clearances but there is still a moral issue.”

He said, “The moral issue is that the DPT government who accepted his resignation for the MoH corruption issue has now got him in the party and so we have to presume the two of them must have had something going on from before.”

The PDP Vice President Damcho Dorji said, “first and foremost we must appreciate the fact that he, as far as I know, is the first civil servant to take moral responsibility and resign.”

He said, “Having said that to join the ruling party from whose government he resigned on moral grounds does not look good. If he has genuinely resigned on moral grounds over the MoH corruption scam and the ruling party had accepted it as such, it does not make sense for him to come back in the probable ministerial post of the Health Minister.”

He said that the Health Minister had openly put the blame on the Health Secretary and the existing senior MoH bureaucracy in the Parliament by saying that the procurement scam had been going on for years before his time.

Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party President Sonam Tobgye said, “The Health secretary resigned on moral grounds over corruption in MoH. Such engagement of the former health secretary says a lot about DPT.”

He said that in the general rounds of the elections the ECB should be very stringent in terms of requirements like NOC, PIT form, asset declaration and others.

Druk Chirwang Tshogpa President Lily Wangchuk said that for any person to be eligible to contest they should have clean track record.

Dasho Dr Gado Tshering in his defense said that he had in fact been approached by various political parties to join as their candidate.

To this both BKP and DCT issued flat denials. However, DNT’s Dr Tandin Dorji said that while initially some of his party members approached Dr Gado the idea was dropped as the majority did not want to have him due to his past. PDP President Tshering Tobgay said that while a few party workers may have approached Dr Gado the party did not approach him. Earlier there were reports of the now defunct DMNT approaching Dr Gado.

Dasho Dr Gado Tshering, “The main reason why I resigned was that I realized that as per the Royal Kasho appointing secretaries I would become a secretary for 11 years as I had already served for six years from 2005 to 2011 and so I wanted to give opportunity to new talent and experiences. Apart from this was the issue of embezzlement and corruption the MoH Ministry for which I had resigned taking moral responsibility.”

He said that as the secretary he had provided cooperation to the ACC and the RAA at all times. He said he also resigned because he did not want to be seen influencing the investigations that were ongoing at various levels in the MoH.

“If I was really guilty then I should have stayed on in MoH and fought the battle from inside,” said Dasho Dr Gado.

He said that after leaving he had set up a low cost diagnostics center for the benefit of ordinary people where services were available at much cheaper rates that compared to other countries.

He also clarified that despite many parties approaching him he had not chosen DPT but he went with the decisions of the people of his constituency of Bji-Kartshog in Haa.

He said, “I respect all the parties as everybody is coming to serve the nation and the people.”

Tenzing Lamsang / Thimphu

 

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55 comments

  1. This shows how DPT is tainted with corrupted ex ministers and secretaries. I must say that Dr Gado given his smart and slyness will make him another corrupted minister under JYT, but it will be a big mistake by people of HAA. He knows only lip services to the public at large and will take care of his own groups until he wants to rely on them.

    In short, Dr Gado has no principle and he will kick you out if you are no longer services to him.

    • Pau!! A mess DPT!!!

    • Pothey – didnt you know street smartness, slyness and lip services are specialty of DPT. To join DPT one need distinction certificate from ACC and evidence of ability-to-cover-up one’s own track neatly. There are few DPTians who will be kicked out for lack of those knowledge and skills. Just see.  Time will tell. 

      • rightly said. yes we need people with clean and unquestionable record. DPT is getting dirtier and corrupted by the day.

      • My Sincere request to the voters of HAA is that please think twice and vote if you are voting for Dr. Gado. If thing goes like gyalposhing beacuse of your votes entire Haaps has to face the shame. We dont have time to appeal at Supreme Court, We dont have face to accept the Shame.

  2. Flabbergasted

    DPT is digging their own grave. Corruption after corruption after corruption. Can’t you find some clean honest people to join your party? May be its true that birds of the same feather flock together.

    By the way, what happened to the case where Dr. Gado used materials from the hospital construction site to build his own house? Yeah right, nothing happened.

    • Flab, well said about the Birds with same feather flock together.

    • Please ask Aum Neten, Dasho Gadho was let off scot free even when the ACC caught him red handed with what you have mentioned. While he was let go, many lower level staff of the RICB were not so lucky and were terminated for misusing sums of even below Nu.500/-, that’s why sometimes I don’t believe that ACC is fair.

      Aum Neten coined the term, “that misuse of even Nu.5 amounted to corruption”, so then why was Dr.Gadho not taken to task. Like, I said earlier, this double standard of the ACC is what I can’t stand about them. 

  3. again one corrupted man from Haa, and we really feel sad when Gado tsheirng use words dat he is joining DPT coz it is the choice of people from his consititucncy which is totally wrong. m also from haa and sorry for dat.DPT is not our choice now

    • he is anpther fox politician in the making! people of Haa has to decide which Party to join! what a crap. he cannot decide! 

      • He has passed politics at the top of his class- not a politician in the making any more. thats why dpt is taking him for – not one of the main criteria but the only criteria- how to clean up his behind cute and neat.

    • Flabbergasted

      Go back to Haa and let your people know about this guy. People in the villages may not be well informed. This is our only chance to stop this corrupted crooks from ruining our country.

      • And it is true dat senior citizen of upper haa dat is Je katsho constituency are pressuring people of sangbeykha constituency to support OL. and it is really surprising when Gado Tshering saying DPT is choice of people, really bullshit. any way lets see.and even i feel Dago tsheirng ex principal made great blunder for joining DPT from haa, why didnt he join any other party.

        • two Haaps back to back!  No self belief? or may be winning is top priority and nothing else matter for him! Any way let people decide on him but we must make sure people know about such issues. Moral corruption is one of the biggest corruption.

          • Wisdom, you have my full support on this one, seem’s you are finally getting a little wiser, haha.

  4. Un loup dans l'habillement du mouton

    If he were really and truly concerned so as to resign on moral grounds, he would have stayed on to clear the mess MOH was (and still is) in. Don’t forget he left the Minister, Secretarty or the DG and the government in the lurch. The state the JDWNR Hospital is in now, with the building falling apart a few years into service, lifts not working, half the doors perpetually locked, concrete floors cracking, parking lots a junkyard, the condition of the hospital and wards (leave alone the services and equipment), the low morale of the staff and workers, doctors and senior officials resigning en masse, etc could all be attributed to this single guy besides the government overlooking such a massive corruption charge.

  5. sorry DPT! I will never believe in you until all DPTeans are changed!

  6. it is really confusing to us Bhutanese. The secretary so called dasho doctor Gado resigned on moral ground under a Minister called Zngley Dukpa who made it known to public that he and his govt has let him resigned from the govt is now being accepted as its candidates! vow what a great idea. self contradictions! This is either a smart conspiracy or show of desperation to win at any cost. PM accepts it too! where is the so called moral principles in these people??? Do HA people have no clean or better candidates than him. Here again they are setting a bad bad precedent. RAA should refuse to give clearance untill the investigation is completed.

  7. It looks like the DPT is really trying to lose the elections, any one with half a mind should have known the ramifications of allowing a person like Dr Gadho to join the party, someone who has a lot of question marks on his character.

    If anything, the DPT seems to be self imploding.

  8. It has now become a usual trend that few forum posters acuse of anyone who joins and praises anyone who joins another party. Dasho Gadho would have not been criticized if he joined another party and forme dzongda Rinzin would have been strongly criticized if he joind DPT. However, fortunately, most Bhutanese do not read the forums and their conscience remains clear.

    • Please, this has nothing to do with which party Dr.Gadho joins and everything to do with his character flaws, more than any other party, the DPT should have seen this first.

  9. As a Bhutanese since the introduction

  10. As a Bhutanese since the introduction of democracy I am really very confused.

     The chairman of the Gyalpoizhing land allotment committee is permitted to continue in office even after he has been convicted by the Court. 

    The chairman of the Tendering Committee of the MoH where there was a high corruption scam involving millions is permitted to resign on moral grounds while the specialists are still suspended and the people are suffering.

    A MoH driver is terminated from service for selling vehicle parts worth a few hundreds while ministers involved in Gyalpoizhing land grab are let go simply by returning the land. 

    Just cited a few incidences but there are plenty such cases – enough to make to make one go crazy.

    • This is the ACCs double standards I was speaking about earlier, while all members of the Gyelpozhing land allotment committee have been suspended and will most probably lose their jobs along with their benefits, Dr. Gadho as the Chairman of the Tendering Committee where-in many lapses were detected is allowed to go without any objections from the ACC.

      Now in a complete about turn, I am led to believe that ACC has instructed the RAA not to issue any Audit Clearance to all staff of the Department of Civil Aviation. While I understand that people involved in the Airport Tendering Committee may be denied Audit Clearances, why the hell should other staff be denied theirs. This is the high handedness of the ACC which I deplore.

    • well said friend, i agree with you, people are frustrated now, some day it may just burst away everything

    • yes am confused too. that why we should change this govt this time. they are bent on confusing us. if educated peole are confused, how about villagers?

  11. By the way I am told he is the first Dasho to resign almost immediately after receiving a Kasho to continue serving the country as health secretary and the first doctor to open a clinic after having denied and spoken against any privatization of medical services in the country for so many years as the Director and Secretary of Health.

    What do you say of such a person?

  12. It is nt about being gentle men rather it is about being mentle men in this modern world. Wether to look gud or bad is nt a matter here, as Damcho Doji said, it is abt politiking intellingently; Nt immaturely like ur boss OL rather u can be better than him is wat i observed. If it is than people of his constituency shud be careful of choice.

  13. ACC may be waiting for Dr Gado to become the DPT minister. Then he will be dragged to court. That is my guess.

  14. Foul is fair and fair is foul,
    Hover through the fog and filthy air…

  15. Well! People there, don’t make noise. We are thinking of easily passing the Chief Election Commissioner’s radar on 5th May, although all of us in DPT and you people know Dr Gado resigned on moral ground with lot of corruption issues to his credit 

  16. All I can say is that Dr. Gado is a classical example of a person who can be termed an ” opportunist”. He will stop at nothing to achieve power, fame and riches at any one’s expense and feel no sense of guilt. Such people can be compared to mass murderers and serial killers that one watches in the news, with no conscience save to achieve his own ,sick objectives. Just ask around and do some research on the guy, and you will find out the truth. The country nor the Health family can ill afford to have him assume any leadership. So guys, think carefully before you elect a rogue to lead us in any capacity.

  17. I hope this paper succeed in defeating DPT. Achievement of Bhutanese:
    Politicizing

    • I also hope this paper defeat DPT but the question is can this paper defeat Bhutanese voters? I don’t think it would be easy…. 🙂

  18. If Dr. Gadho is clear from ACC and RAA, what’s the point of making noise?

  19. In spite of all the bad publicity and whatever mess there is related to the party, I still feel that DPT will win and form the government this time around. The best we can do is to pray that the party select untainted, capable, efficient and honest people  (Not like the Minjurs, the Thakurs, The Gados) to be Ministers and that some other person like a Yeshey ZImba or a Khandu Wangchuk be the Prime Minister.

    • Don’t u think all the mess created by DPT provide a fertile ground for the other party workers to demonize this party? Do u think other party workers are as dumb as you would wish them to be? 

      Don’t be too much presumptuous. Many people have already decided which button to push in the primary round. When the results are announced, you should go and lick the wheel rims of JYT’s land cruisers. 

  20. Dr. Gado Said. He also clarified that despite many parties approaching him he had not chosen DPT but he went with the decisions of the people of his constituency of Bji-Kartshog in Haa.

    This is totally wrong, i have surveyed the people of that constituency and as per my survey only 20% likes DPT, this is also beacuse former MP Ugyen Tenzin has promised many developmental activities and he didn’t turn up when peoples are in need of Him.  It is true that people of Bji-Kartshog wants to have Dr. Gado to represent them but not the Party. Frankly speaking most of the peoples approached Dr. to represent through PDP but doctor denied and even told his betrayal deeds to LSN to his trusted party workers.  He even said that PDP will not happily accept his offer as party directly or indirectly run by LSN. 

  21. Again Dr. Gado said that after leaving he had set up a low cost diagnostics center for the benefit of ordinary people where services were available at much cheaper rates that compared to other countries.

    Low cost don’t you feel ashamed of saying this things here. Peoples of Bhutan has to pay Nu. 500 just for your hand touch and sweet advice, Nu. 1000.00 for UCG if it is in jaigaon wit wont cost more than Nu.500.00

  22. This man, is a most crook to me.. he used ex Minister sangey Ngedup, as ladder doing chamcha to climb up from GDMO to atleast to DG and then to secretary. He latter ditch very mentor who brought him up. He is very un-relaible as person, not honest civil servant as we know scams, . But the with todays kuensel declaring of candidates is concern, JYT will induct candidates rich with corrupt practise, Gado, sycopants and Goons ( tsultrim) and money power ( Karma Donian and Thinly palden ) good luck to DPT, hope people understand the ploy..

    • Dr. Gado will win the race this time. The poor people of Haaps are being influenced by his promises. He told the haaps that if he wins he will be the Health Minister and promised haaps that he will come up with Big Hospital at Haa with good set of Doctors.

  23. U people have approached him n its his decission where to go? PDP good in blaming GOVT without having to know the role of opposition.

    • Whats wrong with this man when its clear from RAA, ACC & EC? Let him join whichever party he likes or whichever party his supporters prefer. Not that just too much politiking when one finds uncomparable with someone?

  24. Another candidate of DPT is Karma Donor (aka know as vicky donor and ofcourse a relative of JYT) who was silent for 5 years and visited his constituency maybe five times in 5 years. Now he is running for MP position and will realize that Gelephu wont make that mistake again. You can tell Lhotsampas “mero buri nepali ho’ and nani ko cencus ko problem cha as in the past. But we are not fools. We dont WANT you and you will soon find out. Your father already sucked blood of Gelephu and its people as a Dzongda and we don’t want a repeat.

  25. No need to argue here, we haaps know the best party and the candidates. we will vote for the best who can serve the country and the people of bhutan in best way. so wait N watch till 3oth of May and July. than u will know the decision of the haaps you may be surprised to know the decision of the haaps . as we voted in 2008.

  26. Wai! The candidature of Dasho Gado seems to have been cleared by the responsible mandated agency. What is the problem with all of us here in the forum backlashing shamelessly. All of us are behaving like animals. All of us say we are Bhudhists and talking ill about others are sin. So, things do not apply here as per all of us?

    • Flabbergasted

      We are trying to do something good here. i.e saving our country from crooks. If that is not being a buddhist, I don’t know what is. 

      We are not talking ill about a person. We are talking about an ill-minded person and we are not cooking up stories. Dr. Gado being corrupt is a well known fact.

      If only you came out of your DPT cocoon, you will see the bigger picture.

  27. What Mr. Judge had said is true. wait N watch on 30th may and general election in july-2013. Ap Chundu is the guiding god for Haaps, Ap Chundu will decide who will do best for the Country N People of bhutan.

  28. hes is the most popular candidate and no matter what,i have a feeling that he will win with a big margin from his constituency.DPTeans are clever,crooked and cunning and they went for a sure CATCH (not clean and capable!)

  29. useless people on the forum talkin baseless things.first get all the findins and then talk about the other person. Dr gado is a smart man, he got no hands in fraud plus most trusted person of haaps. lets haaps decide for him..why all craps here..insane people..get a life..

    • useless people on the forum talkin baseless things.first get all the findins and then talk about the other person. Dr gado is a smart man, he got no hands in fraud plus most trusted person of haaps. lets haaps decide for him..why all craps here..insane people..get a life..

  30. dr.gado, if he is what is the best of what represents the haaps then I guess they deserve him as they are what he is. the little i know of the haaps they are an individualistic lot and are often known to not to be influenced by the herd mentality. anyways lets see what metle the haaps are actually made of.we kind of have become used to haap leadership for decades like the agay haap, chief operational officer of the rba, lyonpo dr. tobgay, lyonpo chenkyap dorj,dasho nado rinchen, bhutans first opposition leader and numerous senior and mid level officials. can we yet take another on in the present environment like dr. gado or should we give another an opportunity to prove that they too can serve better and with greater honesty and loyalty. after all the past has been proven, but the present has doubtful credentials and the haapas may find themselves disappointed. in the past there was no way of measuring and assessing the credentials, but today, we do, and we should use it wisely, so that past glories can be maintained with pride and not considered a lie, because the present does not have that material nor the balls. good luck to you haapas, cause you’ll really need it.

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