3rd June 2023, Mumbai: An Assamese citizen was found guilty on Friday by a special court in Mizoram’s Aizwal of defrauding five contractors in Mizoram, Manipur, and Assam of at least 1.33 crore by offering them contract employment under the state-owned Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Corporation Ltd (MAMCO).
The convict, Mustaqur Rahman, a resident of Guwahati, was found guilty by a special court (Prevention of Corruption Act) judge HTC Lalrinchhana. The quantum of punishment will be announced on June 5.
His co- accused, Lalremthanga, the former managing director (MD) of MAMCO, was sentenced in November last year to five years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of ₹5 lakh.
The total amount of money obtained by the two convicted persons is ₹268 lakh.
A report on malpractices and impropriety among a section of employees in MAMCO was received from Zothankhuma, MD, MAMCO, through Vigilance Department, on March 25, 2015.
The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) hired MAMCO to act as the implementing agency for its school projects at Lunglei and Champhai in Mizoram, Udalguri in Assam, and Ukhrul in Manipur, according to an investigation by the Anti Corruption Bureau. MAMCO, which was originally an agricultural marketing organisation, had diversified its activities into the field of civil construction.
Under the terms of the agreement between MAMCO and KVS on September 26, 2012, MAMCO would receive 7% as service charges over the actual cost of work.