Imphal, September 01 2017: The ghost of the past of the Manipur Development Society (MDS) has caught up with six prominent personalities, including a former Chief Minister, three former Chief Secretaries of the State, the former Project Director of MDS and an Administrative Officer of the Society, with FIR being registered against them in connection with cases pertaining to Manipur Development Society today at Imphal Police Station .
The six persons against whom the FIR has been lodged are, Y Ningthem Singh, former Project Director of MDS, DS Poonia former Chief Secretary and former Chairman of MDS, former Chief Minister O Ibobi who is also a former Chairman of PDS, PC Lawmkunga, former Chief Secretary and former Chairman of MDS, O Nabakishore, former Chief Secretary and former Chairman of MDS and S Ranjit Singh Administrative Officer of MDS.
According to documents available with The Sangai Express the FIR was filed by the OC of Imphal Police Station, Inspector Ch Subol Singh .
The charges levelled against the named personalities include cheating, criminal conspiracy and breach of trust .
The genesis of the FIR may be traced to the last part of November last year when the Planning Department approached the Vigilance Department to conduct an enquiry on the financial irregularities in MDS and accordingly take up necessary action .
Following this, the Vigilance Department initiated necessary enquiries and submitted its report to the State Government and acting on the report, the OC of Imphal West registered the FIR against the six individuals .
On perusing the report submitted by the Vigilance Department, the OC of Imphal Police Station in a written communication to the SP of Imphal West said that all the documents and relevant papers including MBs, DPRs, sanction papers, etc which are not available at the office of the MDS need to be recovered from Y Ningthem Singh, since he was the Project Director of MDS .
‘The various bank accounts particularly saving accounts opened in the name of MDS and singly operated by him or with his staff needs to be verified and investigated for the purpose of their (bank accounts) needs and intentions,’ added the OC .
On former Chief Minister O Ibobi, the OC said that he is required to be examined and also record his statement as he was the Chairman of MDS from July 1, 2013 to August 31, 2014 .
The projects taken up during his (Ibobi) Chairmanship and the transactions done by MDS for various projects need to be verified, said the written submission to the SP of Imphal West .
By virtue of his post, the Chairman is the joint account holder and joint signatory and the Project Director alone is not competent to make any transaction without the knowledge and consent of the Chairman .
The written submission further said that since a lot of transaction was conducted during the tenure of DS Poonia as the Chairman from June 30, 2009 to June 30, 2013, he is required to be examined and his statement recorded .
The submission also said that the two other Chairpersons, PC Lawmkunga and O Nabakishore too need to be examined and their statements recorded to check if there were any procedural lapses, financial misappropriation, cheques countersigned etc .
On the need to examine Administrative Officer S Ranjit Singh, the OC said that former Project Director Y Ningthem in an order dated August 23, 2014 had stated that all cheques of agriculture and handloom and general administration of MDS will be signed by the Project Director and the Administrative Officer .
Doubts have been raised that certain procedure and extant norms have been overlooked with predisposed mind causing loss to the Government exchequer, it added .
The OC further said that an inquiry report also indicates that the officials and staff of MDS had not observed prescribed procedures, established norms and extant rules, works awarded to agencies without work agreements and added that the total liabilities to MDS is Rs 185.79 crore .
Officials of line departments too need to be examined and their statements recorded as per the projects entrusted to MDS by them, said the submission though no names have been named due to paucity of time .
Certain persons who can be influential in MDS should be examined .
The six named persons therefore need to be thoroughly investigated, it added.
Source: The Sangai Express
