Removal of retired officials by Lokayukta not to affect corruption trial: Pillan

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 15, 2024

The allegations against the MDA government of trying to shield certain individuals and MLAs following the replacement retired officers from the Meghalaya Lokayukta have been with one of the lawyers representing the complainants in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of projects of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) stating that the corruption case has been chargesheeted by the Lokayukta and the removal of the retired officials would not affect the trial of the case.

Pillan T Sangma, one of the lawyers for the complainants told reporters on Thursday that the Lokayukta had chargesheeted two cases in connection with the complaint lodged against MLA, Sanjay A Sangma and others and the case is under trial now by the court of special judge at Tura.

Sanjay A Sangma is the MLA of Mahendraganj and relative of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.

“As far as the case against Sanjay A Sangma and others is concerned, the investigation has been completed and the Lokayukta has already filed the charge-sheet and now the matter is under trial. Therefore the removal of the retired officials will not affect the case at all. However if the officials of the Lokayukta are removed during the course of the investigation and if it will affect the investigation, we can challenge it legally,” Pillan T Sangma said.

He said that there are two cases which have been chargesheeted by the Lokayukta.

Explaining further about the case filed before the Meghalaya Lokayukta, the lawyer said that after the case was filed before the Lokayukta,  an order for preliminary inquiry was issued, after which,  both the parties were given an opportunity to reply.

“After hearing both the parties, again the Lokayukta will pass an order. If there is a prima facie case or if there is some material on record, the Lokayukta will pass necessary orders for investigation. After the filing of the investigation, the concerned investigation officer (IO), they have submitted a detailed investigation report and after this, the Lokayukta Court will look into the investigation and if found mysterious, prima facie, it will file a chargesheet. So, in these particular two cases, the Lokayukta has filed two charge sheets the trial is going on before the special judge court, Tura,” he said.

When asked about the removal of the retired officers by the Lokayukta who have been replaced with serving officers, the lawyer said, “In my view, the law is very clear that once the case has been chargesheeted and it has been submitted to the competent court, nobody can interfere and there is nothing to worry with regards to what will happen as the law will take its own course. If any person or persons, aggrieved by an order of the special court, they can take legal recourse in the near future.”

On changing of retired officers of the Lokayukta by replacing with serving officers, the lawyer said that changing of officers will not affect particularly those cases which have been chargesheeted and those cases which are pending in the high court and as well as the case which is pending in the court of special judge, Tura. The trial is going on, and investigation officers now have nothing to do (with the cases) as they have already submitted the chargesheets.

On the allegations that the removal of retired officers of the Lokayukta may affect the investigation and try to protect some of the politicians, the lawyer said, “Everybody is not a law expert. Your views may be right or my views may be right but the court will interpret because in the court, we will know the truth. Once the court passes an order, we have to accept it. If somebody is still aggrieved by the order, still there is no bar, you can still go to the higher court.”

Moreover, the lawyer for the complainants said that if those three officers (retired) who were replaced with serving officers, if they feel it is illegal, they can approach the court. “There is no bar to approach the court and the court will say whether the removal is illegal or right. Whatever the court will give its verdict, accordingly we have to accept it,” he added.