NIA arrests three Naga Govt officers over ‘terror funding’ case

Kohima, March 26: In a tragic incident, National Investigation Agency arrested 3 Nagaland Senior Officials over ‘terror funding’ case. NIA has been conducting an investigation in various government departments in Nagaland. “The officials were arrested on the basis of their alleged involvement in paying a huge amount of money to various UG factions such as NSCN (K), NSCN (R), FGN, NNC and others within the period from 2012-2016,” NIA stated.

 

 

NIA stated that the case was in connection with the alleged charges of large scale extortions and illegal tax collections, on behalf of the banned NSCN (K), from various government organizations and others in Dimapur and Kohima areas under the direction of ‘brig.’ Isac Sumi and other senior leaders.

It said that the allegations were revealed during the scrutiny of official documents including demand letter and payment receipts which were seized during search operation carried out by NIA in 13 government offices on January 18, 2017.

NIA further informed that officials will be produced before the special NIA court in at Dimapur today, with a request for police custody remand.

It may be mentioned that the NIA has so far apprehended/detained 10 Nagaland government officials since 2017 in connection with extortions and illegal tax collections case. Three senior government officials were first arrested in April 2017 followed by four more in October 2017. The development also comes even as the NIA plans to issue fresh summons to former Nagaland Chief Minister, T.R. Zeliang, for questioning in connection with an alleged “tax collection and terror funding” case.

Earlier this month, TR Zeliang was summoned by NIA to Delhi for interrogation. However, he had personally written for deferment of the date for his cross examination because of the ongoing Assembly session, which would end on March 26. The NIA had also issued summons to three officials— Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Ruokuovizo, and two public relation officers, Karibo and Kuirang.

On January 18, 2017, the NIA had conducted searches in various government departments in Nagaland and seized receipts that showed payments to the tune of Rs 2 Crores. The case relates to alleged extortion by groups such as NSCN(K), NSCN(IM) and Naga National Council from at least 14 government departments. The departments under the radar of NIA include the Directorate of Information Technology, Directorate of Irrigation, Directorate of Rural Development, Directorate of Urban Development, PWD, Roads and Buildings, Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation and Directorate of Information and Public Relations.