Shan State ex-chief minister, ex-government officials charged under anti-corruption law

Former Shan State chief minister Dr Linn Htut, former Shan State minister for Electricity, Energy and Industry U Sai Shen Tit Long, former Shan State minister for Planning and Finance and former minister for Inn Ethnic Affairs Dr Tun Hlaing were prosecuted under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law yesterday.
The Anti-Corruption Commission set up an investigation team into the allegations of corruption in the activities of former Shan State chief minister Dr Lin Htut and officials.
According to the investigation team, the former Shan State chief minister reduced the value of tender for Innlay Zone Entry Fees Collection by 50 per cent of K300 million from a successful bidder at the Shan State Government Coordination Meeting (1/2018). Despite the reduction, the remaining K170 million could not be recovered until the time of inspection. Failure to take legal action as per the contract terms caused damage to the state’s finance.
Former minister for Electricity, Energy and Industry U Sai Shen Tit Long allowed the Innlay Zone Entry Fees Collection Business on its own without setting a fixed amount of money to be paid to the state government from April to September 2018, causing the state to lose more than K1,000 million.
Former chief minister Dr Linn Htut, former minister U Sai Shen Tit Long and former Planning and Finance minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin and former Inn Ethnic Affairs minister Dr Tun Hlaing allowed a company that was banned by the state government from bidding for the Innlay Zone Entry Fees Collection Project to operate in the 2018-2019FY without presenting the original title deeds of an immovable property equivalent to K1,400 million to be submitted as collateral, and the remaining tenders owed and fines of over K1,100 million were not recovered which caused the state funds damaged. The former ministers also allowed the same company to operate again in the 2019-2022FY, and couldn’t recover more than K1400 million from the previous FY.
U Soe Min Tun, U Aung Kyaw Naing and wife Daw Tin Tin Htway operated the business without presenting the original title deeds of immovable property for the Innlay Zone Entry Fees Collection as collateral. They have been charged under Section 55/63 of the Anti-Corruption Law due to the non-payment of over K1,100 million for the 2019-2019FY and K1,400 million for the 2019-2020FY which caused the state to lose money.
The former Shan State minister and the former Shan State Planning and Finance minister failed to comply with the 1/2017 tender rules and regulations of the President Office in purchasing primary food items from the Shan State government’s budget of over K400 million and also failed to manage to be repaid over K89 million to the state government account.
Former Shan State minister for Planning and Finance U Soe Nyunt Lwin was found to have received K10 million from two companies in connection with the construction of a hospital and a truck stop on the land owned by the Ayethaya Town Development Committee in Taunggyi Township, Shan State.
It is reported that the first complaint was lodged at the Taunggyi City Police Station yesterday to take legal action against them, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). —MNA