IMPHAL, Feb 10: The Court of the Special Judge (Prevention of Corruption), Imphal West has fixed March 27 for charge hearing the alleged misappropriation of fund in purchasing telecobalt machine for regional cancer centre, RIMS against two former RIMS Directors and four others.
Former Director Dr Lallukham Fimate, former HoD Radiotherapy, Dr Thaodem Tomcha and Himanshu Sharma appeared before the Court of Special Judge Maibam Manojkumar (Prevent of Corruption) Imphal West today while two other accused former RIMS Director Sinam Sekharjit and Shahid Hussain did not turn up but filed application of dispense.
Incidentally, Dr Lallukham Fimate is contesting the forthcoming State Assembly election from Tipaimukh AC on BJP ticket.
Another alleged accused Scott Macintosh, Director Best Theratronics, M/s MDS Nordion, (a firm based in Canada) was represented by Vinay Prakash, consultant of MDS Nordion Inc as he was authorised through a power of attorney by two Directors of the company, Don Liver and Rocco Marcantonio. Vinay Prakash submitted a fresh vakalatnama today.
Anti-corruption bureau of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a charge sheet against Lallukham Fimate of Langol near Shija Hospital, Dr Sinam Sekharjit of Singjamei Chingamathak Pishum Leirak, Dr Th Tomcha of Mantripukri, Shahid Hussain of King Abdul Aziz Road, Jubali Saudi Arabia, Himanshu Sharma of Barh Mohalla Faridabad, Haryana and Scott Macintosh, Director Best Theratronics, M/s MDS Nordion of Canada on April 11 last year before the Court.
The charge sheet was filed under PC Act 1988 under section 120-B r/w 420 and under section 13(2) r/w section 13(1) of PC Act of 1988 against all the accused. Today’s Court proceeding was taken up under special trial (PC) case number 12 of 2016.
The Court directed accused no 6 Scott Macintosh, Best Theratronics M/s MDS Nordion through his representative Vinay Prakash to furnish PR bond of Rs one lakh with one surety of the like amount.
Subsequently, the accused number 6 furnished PR bond and surety bond of Rs 1 lakh in cheque through his defense counsel. The Special Court also provided relevant papers of the charge sheet to accused number 6 and fixed February 27 for charge hearing of the CBI (ACB) case.
It may be mentioned that CBI Anti Corruption Bureau, Imphal branch registered an FIR on basis on the information received from reliable sources to the effect that in the year 2006, the Department of Radiotherapy, RIMS received a project grant of Rs 5 crore for Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India when Lallukham Fimate was the Director of RIMS.
The charge sheet submitted before the Court alleged that L Fimate along with S Sekharjit and Th Tomcha together some other persons made undue favour to the private firm M/S MDS Nordion Canada by abusing their official position through its Indian based dealer M/S Kirloskar Theratronics Private limited and its regional manager in purchasing a telecobalt machine flouting all norms worth Rs 2.37 crore.
The charge sheet pointed out that telecobalt machine of the same specifications manufactured by M/S Panacea Tech Private Limited of Bangalore was available at a price Rs 1 crore lesser than the price charged by the Canadian company thereby making RIMS Imphal suffer a loss of Rs 1 crore.
Rs 5 crore was sanctioned and released by the Ministry concerned on July 12, 2006 to the Regional Cancer Centre, RIMS Imphal under National Cancer Programme. A list of 48 prosecution witnesses has been submitted by the CBI (ACB), Imphal Branch in their charge sheet before the Special Judge PC against the accused in the case.
Source: The Sangai Express
