Crime: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will present evidence to prove larceny by deceptive practices against a 39-year-old woman from Kazhi in Wangduephodrang, who promised 43 people employment in the United States.

The case is ongoing in bench III of the Thimphu dzongkhag court.

Of the 43, who paid about Nu 300,000 each, only 38 lodged complaints against the woman. Five of the victims, according to a lawyer, got their money back.

The woman owes Nu 10.8M to the 38 victims.

The issue came to light in May this year, when a Khenpo from Shingkhar Lauri in Jomotsangkha reported to Thimphu police that a woman, who claimed to be a visa agent working for two American women, defrauded him of Nu 7.8M. The Khenpo paid visa fees for 26 people from Shingkhar Lauri.

The woman, who went missing in May, claimed that she was working for two wealthy women in the USA, who owned a 51-storey shopping mall there. She claimed three other Bhutanese women also worked for the two women from the USA. It was, however, found to be false.

It was learnt that the woman, who is still under police custody, confessed to the crime. She admitted to police and also to the court that the visa business was fictitious.

The woman’s husband, who is a trulku, lodged a complaint when she went missing. The woman maintained that he was innocent and she misused his name and reputation to con people.

Tashi Dema