The Punakha District Court convicted seven people including five women of breach of trust, deceptive practice and forgery in a vehicle hiring scam. They hired 26 vehicles from different individuals and sold them by forging documents. Most of the convicts were arrested in October last year. The court passed the judgment on Thursday.
In what could be the largest car scam busted by the police last year from Khuruthang in Punakha, five women and two men were found to have hired 26 vehicles and sold them off by preparing fake documents at a cheaper price. The convicts were also found to have used the cars as collateral for informal loans.
Sentencing the convicts from six months to more than 31 years in prison, the district court also ordered them to refund the actual price of the vehicles to the affected parties within one month. Failing to do so will increase their prison terms.
Of the seven convicts, four of them can pay in-lieu of their prison terms. However, three women will have to serve the prison sentence since they were sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Forty-year-old Choki Wangmo will have to serve more than 31 years in prison. She was convicted of nine counts of Deceptive Practice, Breach of Trust and Forgery. She will also have to refund more than Nu 3.1 M to the affected parties.
The court sentenced 41-year-old Pema Zangmo to 25 years in prison for 12 counts of Breach of Trust, Deceptive Practice and Forgery. She was ordered to refund more than Nu 2.6 M to various victims.
And the last woman who will not have an option to pay Thrimthue is 32-year-old Tshering Deki. She was sentenced to 24 and a half years in prison for 11 counts of Breach of Trust, Deceptive Practice and Forgery. She was ordered to refund more than Nu 1.5 M to those who bought vehicles from her.
The four convicts who were given compoundable sentences are 42-year-old Pema Thinley, 34-year-old Kinzang, 50-year-old Karma Yangki and 68-year-old Dorji Wangdi. Pema Thinley was sentenced to three years in prison for two counts of Breach of Trust. He was ordered to refund more than Nu 564,000 to one of the buyers. Kinzang was sentenced to nine months in prison for Breach of Trust. She will also have to refund Nu 400,000 to one of the buyers.
Likewise, Karma Yangki and Dorji Wangdi were sentenced to six months in prison each for Deceptive Practice and Accomplice Liability. Dorji Wangdi was also ordered to refund Nu 300,000 to a buyer.
Police recovered the vehicles from the neighbouring districts from various buyers last year after one of the owners first lodged a complaint with the police. The owner was suspicious after he saw a stranger driving his car in Thimphu. The recovered vehicles were handed over to their rightful owners through the District Court.
Changa Dorji, Punakha
Edited by Sonam
