Although the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) dropped the alleged bribery case against foreign minister Damcho Dorji for reducing life sentence of Rido to 10 years for choeten vandalism case in Mongar in 2002, Mongar district court sentenced Rido to life on May 8.

It was learnt that the Mongar district court enforced Rido’s sentencing after 15 years after the Supreme Court sent an order on March 10.

A source, who chose anonymity, said that the ACC had written to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on March 10 regarding the discrepancy in the enforcement of judgment.

ACC then asked the judiciary to take an appropriate course of action regarding the enforcement of the judgment for Rido.

The source said that ACC’s investigation found that Rido’s life sentence for vandalising two choetens in lhakhang Dogorba and Hongri in Chaskhar gewog in 1996 was changed to 10 years when foreign minister, as the then Mongar drangpon, communicated the court verdict enforcement order to police.

It was also learnt that Mongar court ordered the police to arrest Rido by March 30 and produce him before court.

Rido, who is in his 50s, was brought to court on May 8 for the sentencing.

Sources who know about the case said Rido’s life sentence was enforced as per the November 29, 2002 court verdict.

Rido, who completed his 10 years conviction, stayed at home from 2012 and he appealed to the court to sentence three friends, alleging that they were involved with him while vandalising the choetens.

Rido then alleged that his friends Daza, Ugyen Dorji and Pema Rinzin, were with him when he vandalised the choetens but the court did not convict them.

The court did not entertain Rido’s appeal stating that there was no evidence and eyewitness to his claims.

Sources from Chaskhar said that Rido was constructing house for his two daughters when police arrested him. “His family live in a shed,” a Chaskhar resident said.

Tashi Phuntsho | Mongar

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