All the five individuals approached the Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench, pleading the court to declare the money laundering case filed against them as “Void, non-operative” but Justice Nelson Sailo and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, have rejected their plea.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
In what can be considered as a turning point in the state’s history, at least five (5) individuals have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The Enforcement Directorate has booked the five individuals under Case No. ECIR/GWZO/09/2020/488 and interestingly, out of the five individuals, at least two of them have CBI cases pending against them since 2019.
According to Rising People’s Party (RPP), Joel Naga, and Vitho Zao, the biggest shocker in the ED case was that Kuovisieo Rio, appointed in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as the Personal Assistant (PA) to Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, was one of the five individuals summoned to appear before the ED in Guwahati.
It said that this was nothing less than a direct indictment of the Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio himself, and interestingly, all the summoned persons—Kuovisieo Rio, Mengutuo Rio, Dsesevi Pielie, Vibeilietuo Kets, and Mhalelie Rio, have given their addresses as Sovima village, Dimapur.
It was believed that apart from the Personal Assistant (PA), the other four are “close confidants” of the Chief Minister.
While stating that the incumbent Chief Minister has to “clear the air” with regard to the money laundering case, RPP said the ED summon letter was issued on February 24 this year but the “deafening silence” of the chief minister and his office in this matter till now is a story in itself.
The RPP further demanded Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, to publicly address the issue by way of press conference in order to put to rest all the speculations.
Meanwhile, all the five individuals approached the Gauhati High Court, Kohima bench, pleading the court to declare the money laundering case filed against them as “Void, non-operative” but Justice Nelson Sailo and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, have rejected their plea.
The Enforcement Directorate was requested to pursue the case to its logical conclusion as per the available facts.
“This summon is first of its kind in the history of the state and the harried general public reeling under blatant corruption is finally beginning to believe that the long arm of the law will finally prevail” said RPP and added that the charge of ED being used as a “political weapon” by the ruling government at the Centre should not surface in this case.