IMPHAL, January 15: Nagaland People`™s Front president Noke Wangnao and leader of NPF legislature party Kaito Aye have alleged that now it was crystal clear why former party president Dr Shurhozelie has stood firmly behind T.R. Zeliang despite the latter losing popular support of the NPF and Democratic Alliance of Nagaland MLAs.
In a press release, the two party leaders stated that the real motive behind the support was the exchange of enormous amounts of black money that changed hands through multinational companies and which were deposited in foreign banks.
The two leaders in the press release mention that documents of international money transfers to TR Zeliang and his wife`™s accounts in Hong Kong and Kuala Lampur sent from Singapore are in their possession (a copy of which has been provided to the IFP).
The details of money transfers contained in the documents are to the tune of more than 78 crores, it said.
The two leaders also released some documents giving the details of money transactions of more than Rs. 78 crores and 66 lakhs. The documents reveal that an amount of 70,00,000 Singapore dollars roughly equivalent to Rs. 32,37,50,000 was transferred on August 16 last to Zeliang`™s bank account at the Royal Bank of Canada, Hong Kong by a certain Ramasamy Veeran from an account at the DBS Bank Ltd, Six Sheraton Way, DBS Building, Singapore.
The documents also further reveal that an amount of 1,00,08,500 Singapore dollars roughly equivalent to Rs. 46,28,93,125 was transferred to the account of Zeliang`™s wife, Kevizenuo Rangkau on September 26 last year at the RHB Bank BHD, Kuala Lumpur.
The money was transferred from an account at the OCBC Bank BHD, People`™s Park Centre, Singapore belonging to a certain Raguvaran Murali who mentions Ramasamy Veeran as his contact person, according to the document.
The enormous amount of illegal money is used to lure MLAs and party workers to favour Zeliang, it said, adding a syndicate of few ministers and politicians are secretly running the affairs of Nagaland and making unbelievable amounts of money for their personal gains.
It said they are selling Nagaland and the rights of the Naga people and carrying out international money transfers and moving black money which is being kept in foreign bank accounts.
`All this transferring and movement of black money is not only illegal and a direct admission of corruption but they are also a threat to national security of the country and needs to be investigated by competent authorities of the country so that those responsible can be punished as per the law of the land`, the two NPF leaders said in the press release.
Stating that the shocking revelations of his involvement in the corruption and transferring of black money requires his immediate removal as Chief Minister, it said he has no more moral authority to continue even for a single day as the Chief Minister of Nagaland.
In the press release, the two leaders accused him of not only being a minority Chief Minister but also a Chief Minister who has been selling Nagaland and the rights of the Naga people for his own personal gains.
`We have several more revelations to be brought out to the public domain on how he is involved in high corruption and how he has been releasing hundreds of crores as payments to selected contractors for his self gains`, the two leaders said in the press release, adding all this while he has been harping of the deficit and financial crisis in Nagaland while continuing to release funds wherever he has benefited. In just a few months as Chief Minister, he has accumulated hundreds of crores and has concentrated solely on making money as he always knew that his days as the Chief Minister were numbered, it said.
Even now, under the present political circumstances, the Chief Minister is clearing dozens of files everyday making crores and crores of payments under illegal circumstances and making money by keeping all his few MLAs and Ministers under forced confinement at de Oriental Grand hotel in Kohima, the two leaders said in the release.
Another fact that needs to be pointed out is that all the ministers, parliamentary secretaries, advisers and chairman who are supporting Kaito Aye have already tendered their resignations protesting against the illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial orders of the Dr Shurhozelie and also due to the fact that Zeliang is now in the clear minority, it said.
In the press release, the two leaders assure the people of Nagaland that they will fix responsibility and punish him as per the law of the land once a popular government is installed in Nagaland. Any bureaucrat or politician, who is obeying the illegal instructions of the minority Chief Minister, will also be held responsible for their actions, the press release warns.
It is a clear sign of his inability and present minority position that the minority Chief Minister had called the officers and bureaucrats of the State Government to explain his political position and justify his embarrassing loss of confidence by the elected Members, it said, adding Zeliang has not only demeaned the office of the Chief Minister but also embarrassed himself and brought disrepute to the entire establishment in carrying out this immature and childish actions.
