PHIDIM: Police have arrested Executive Director of the Phaktalung Tea Estate, Santabir Angdambe on charge of swindling the government by deceptively presenting himself as a conflict victim and claiming more than Rs 12 million as compensation.
According to police, Angdambe received Rs 12.3 million two years ago from the Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation, claiming that his company and staff had to bear huge loss after the tea estate was forcibly shut down during the armed conflict.
However, it was recently revealed that his company had never been shut down. Police also found out that the money he received from the government was never distributed among other workers in the company. The workers there were found to be unaware about the claims on compensation as plotted by Angdambe. Earlier, he had applied for a compensation amounting to Rs 82.22 million at the Local Peace Committee on behalf of 22 labourers of the state.
Angdembe was arrested from Aangsarang VDC of Panchthar yesterday evening.
Even the Chairman of the state said he did not know that Angdambe received and misappropriated the amount. “As soon as we knew about the misappropriation last month, we collected the evidences and filed complaint against him,” chairman Man Prasad Angdembe said.
Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Kosh Haru Niroula said investigations would be carried out also to find if any official at the District Administration Office was involved while issuing compensation to the deceiving Angdambe.
