Shillong, June 24: The Directorate of Enforcement’s (ED) Shillong Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached an immovable property worth Rs 40 lakh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the alleged misappropriation of development funds of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) in Meghalaya, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The attached property is in the name of Ismail R. Marak, former Member of the District Council (MDC) for the Asanang constituency. The ED initiated its probe based on a chargesheet (Special P.C. Act Case No. 01/2023 dated May 18, 2023) filed before the Court of the Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in Tura, stemming from Meghalaya Lokayukta Complaint Case No. 01/2019. The case pertains to offences under Sections 7A, 12, and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to the ED investigation, out of the “Grant for Excluded Areas” amounting to about Rs 28.66 crore received by the GHADC, Rs 1 crore was allocated to the Asanang constituency for 49 development projects.
In violation of the Meghalaya Financial Rules, 1981, an advance of 60 per cent of the project value was released to two contractors — Kubon Sangma and Nikseng Sangma — against work orders allegedly obtained using forged signatures, even though the projects were not executed. The funds were subsequently siphoned off.
The ED’s probe traced proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 52.60 lakh, of which Rs 19.60 lakh was allegedly received in cash by Marak, while Rs 33 lakh was transferred to his wife, Pratibha Marak, through the contractors’ accounts. The attached property represents the “value thereof” of the identified proceeds of crime, not exceeding the traced amount. Earlier, bank balances totaling Rs 16.38 lakh were frozen under PMLA provisions, a move later confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority. Searches in the case were conducted on December 4, 2025, the ED statement said. Further investigation is underway.
IANS
