Dimapur, March 25 (EMN): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested three more employees of the government of Nagaland in connection with the agency’s probe into alleged payments made to the NSCN (K) by various departments of the Nagaland government.
An NIA statement informed that the three arrested persons were: G Ikuto Zhimomi, director of Agriculture; Ketouzo Peseyie, executive engineer of Rural Development; and Sangtemchuba, district accounts officer at the directorate of Urban Development in Kohima.
It stated that the arrests were made ‘in connection with a case arising out of the alleged charges of large scale extortions and illegal tax collections’ on behalf of the NSCN (K) by various government agencies and others.
“The above named officials in their official capacity provided substantial amount to NSCN (K) by way of contributing government funds to the banned outfit, thereby supporting NSCN (K) in furtherance of its unlawful activities,” it stated.
While informing that the “government officers/official” were alleged to have made ‘huge’ payments to other groups as well in the period between 2012-16, the NIA stated that ‘the allegations were revealed during the scrutiny of official documents including demand letters and payment receipts seized during the search operation carried out by the NIA in 13 government offices on January 18, 2017’ in Nagaland.
The NIA stated that it had earlier arrested some members of the NSCN (K). Documents seized from the arrested persons ‘revealed’ involvement of the government employees in paying money ‘to the tune of crores’ to various armed Naga groups leading to the arrest of the three persons from Dimapur on Sunday, it stated.
The accused persons will be produced before the special NIA court in Dimapur on March 26 ‘with request for police custody remand,’ it informed.
