According to the charge- sheet, the former second line leader of the Mizo independence movement had amassed assets disproportionate to his income to the tune of over Rs 8.82 crore.
Taking his election affidavits as the base for starting off the investigations, the charge- sheet said that when he declared his assets in 2003 and 2008 elections he owned Rs54.18 lakh and Rs1.38 crore respectively. The difference within these five years is Rs 83,84,179.
His income along with that of his wife during this period was Rs17,84,234.
The ACB collected all the bank and investment accounts in their names along with their two children. They include four accounts in Axis Bank, two in Chaltlang Rural Bank, three in Vijaya Bank, one in SBI, Aizawl branch, three in SBI Dawrpui branch, one in United Bank of India, three investments in Metlife Insurance Co Ltd, Guwahati, five in HDFC Standard Insurance. The total amount as on 2010 was Rs 4,41,32,623.
Two out of these assets dug out by the ACB were not included in the affadivits he had filed which was the Dawrpui SBI account and land he owned in Champhai. Several other LSCs were also recovered from his house which were not listed in his affidavits, the chargesheet said.
He also owns buildings and up-market vehicles, one of which was a gift from a businessman, which the ACB felt was a clear abuse of his chair. His two children’s educational expenses for their study abroad was also factored into the investigations.
The chargesheet said that this fact alone substantiates the FIR against him under the anti-corruption Act. The ACB has also requisitioned the church in which he is a member for the donations he had made. He will go on trial and the ACB has to prove their case with evidence. As far as the ACB are concerned they feel they have a strong case and now it depends on the judicial system, they said.
Meanwhile, in another case in which the former Chief Minister is accused of using his post as CM to channelise agricultural assets to his own farm called the Aipuk case, the two other accused former Director of Agriculture, Dr OP Singh and his Disbursing and Accounts Officer (DAO) C Lalniliana are also facing trial as accomplices. They were arrested and released on bail in the earlier part of the investigations.
Zoramthanga has denied the Aipuk accusations. He said that he had received these agricultural assets on 50 per cent subsidy.