KALADAN NEWS

Dated: Tuesday, April 19, 2005

 

Former Nasaka Officers with 5 Other Rohingyas Get Unusual Punishment

 

Akyab, April 19: Former two Nasaka officers and 5 other Rohingyas businessmen were sentenced to long-term imprisonment on April 7, 2005 from the court of Akyab    (Sittwe), the capital of Arakan State for their involvement in corruption, said a clerk of Akyab Court, on condition of anonymity.

 

The convicted officers are Col. Aung Ngwe, the former Director and Lt. Col. Myint Oo, the Deputy Director of Nasaka, Arakan State were sentenced to 67 and 135 years imprisonment respectively. They earned millions of dollars from the civics of Arakan State by doing illegal business including heroin and narcotic drugs, said one of their collaborators from Maungdaw.

 

Besides, 5 other Rohingya businessmen from Maungdaw Twonship, Shamsul Alam, 52, son of Late Maulvi Sultan, hailed from Taungbro Left, Bogyi Zahir Ahmed, 50, son of Kalu hailed from Ward No. 4, Rafique, 45, hailed from Ward No.6 (Maungdaw 3 miles), Maung Maung Shwe (alias) Kasim, 30, hailed from Lake Ya (Kumir Khali) village and Kyaw Soe (alias) Raza Meah, 45, hailed from Ward No.1 were sentenced to 28, 49, 42, 21 and 21 years imprisonment respectively. They were sentenced to 7 years for one case. At least 3 to 9 cases were logged against them. They were collaborators and business partners of Nasaka officials and MI., said Zahid Alam, elder brother of Shamsu  Alam, who is currently living in a bordering village of Bangladesh.

 

They were arrested on 25th December 2004 together with 12-top Level Nasaka officers including Nasaka Directors and Military Intelligence-18 (MI-18) officer for the investigation of their involvement in corruptions such as misused of power, money, forced collection and taxation from civics by various means.

 

A team headed by Lt. Gen Khin Maung Than, a member of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and in-Charge-of Arakan State that included the Western Command Commander Brig General Min Aung Hlaing, had arrived at Nasaka headquarters of Maungdaw Township, Arakan State by two helicopters on 23rd December 2004 to access the situation and arrested the Nasaka Director, Col. Aung Ngwe, the deputy Director of the Nasaka, Lt Col. Myint Oo, the MI-18 Chief, Major Than Sin.

 

Meanwhile, 18 Rohingyas from Taung Bazar of Buthidaung Township were also picked up by army on March 2, 2005 and were brought to Akyab and quarried about the corruption of the former Nasaka officials in front of the arrested Nasaka officers. After 7 days, however, they were released. But, the Nasaka area commanders of Maungdaw, Buthidaung Townships are still detained at Akyab jail and rotationally interrogated about their involvement in corruptions, said Sayed Noor from Taung Bazar village tract under Buthidaung Township, who is one of the 18 members, picked up by army. # #

 

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