SHILLONG: UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh has hit back at his former party supporters by filing a counter FIR asserting that the revelation of the RTI and the subsequent FIR filed were acts of “pure political vendetta” to tarnish his image.
He further claimed that Michael Pakyntein and Damonlang Pakyntein, the duo who filed the FIR against him, were unaccountable in their behaviour that led the MLA to distance himself from them.
In his FIR, Lyngdoh mentioned that Pakyntein was a criminal who is currently out on bail since his arrest on July 31, 2014, under Laitumkhrah police station.
“The said criminal is due to appear before the Court of the District and Sessions Judge on April 3, 2017. His claims to be a conscientious citizen and a responsible elector are, therefore, spurious and meant to camouflage his evil agenda,” the FIR stated.
Pointing further to a political ploy, he referred to a press statement that appeared on November 23, 2016, which stated that the West Shillong Block Congress condemned the attack on the house of its block member, Michael Pakyntein, at Bishop Falls at 2 am on November 22.
In this connection, he said, “It is clear that he is a member of West Shillong Block Congress.”
Lyngdoh asserted that the allegations made against him were baseless and incorrect.
On the other hand, pointing to Damonlang, Lyngdoh said he is a beneficiary of the SUWD scheme. He informed that the Dorbar Shnong, Mawprem, called an emergency meeting on November 19, 2013, at 7 pm as the Dorbar Shnong received a letter from CEO of Shillong Municipal Board on September 4, 2013, asking Damonlang to return Rs 6,41,400 withdrawn by him on October 17, 2012 as an advance of 50 per cent for construction aqua duct channel.
“The advance money was withdrawn but the work never started. This is the same man who is filing an RTI revealing a misappropriation and he is the same man that had prompted the Dorbar to convene an emergency meeting,” he added.
The MLA said he has zero tolerance for such behaviour. “I reprimanded them and they realised that they have to be accountable in their work. They were not accountable until I pushed them and made them accountable,” he added.
The duo had alleged that Lyngdoh misappropriated Rs 55.80 lakh of public fund and inflated bills for purchase of various materials. They had also said that the MLA forged signatures of shop owners on the bills against the purchase.
Lyngdoh rubbished the misappropriation claims saying materials were purchased and distributed to all Dorbar Shnong concerned, beneficiary organisations and individuals who vouched for the same. Photographs and utilization certificates were submitted to the office of the Shillong Municipal Board, he added.
As to the matter of forged signature, he stated in the FIR, “The claim of the forged signature by a firm could have been made under duress/intimation as no FIR regarding forged cash memos and signatures appear to have been filed by the firm concerned.”
“It could be also be a deliberate ploy of the firm to evade payment of relevant taxes to the appropriate authorities,” he stated.
Lyngdoh turned to reporters and said, “If they are saying their signatures were forged, why no FIR was filed and who would carry the letterhead of his shop? If their letters were found missing, why no FIR was filed?”
Over the distribution of blankets, he said, “These blankets were distributed through the Dorbar Shnong and there are 10 Dorbar Shnong and the proof of photographs are here.”
