Cuttack: Barabati-Cuttack Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim has approached the Orissa High Court against his conviction by a Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar in connection with a loan scam in Odisha Rural Housing Development Corporation (ORHDC).
Moquim moved the High Court seeking suspension of his conviction in the loan scam. Senior advocate Pitambar Acharya is pleading the case on behalf of Moqium.
Earlier, the Special Vigilance Court had awarded three years of rigorous imprisonment to Moqium in connection with the loan scam. Moquim was working as the Managing Director of Metro Builders Private Limited during the scam.
Vigilance Special Judge Satya Narayan Sarangi also announced three years of rigorous imprisonment for former IAS officer Vinod Kumar, Metro Builders Private Limited director Peeyushdhari Mohanty and former company secretary of ORHDC Swosti Ranjan Mohapatra in connection with the scam.
The court convicted the four accused persons and Metro Builders Private Limited under Section 13 (2) r/w 13(I) (D) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 and Section 120-B/468/471 of the IPC.
The court imposed a penalty of Rs 50,000 each on the convicted persons. Non-payment of the penalty amount would invite another six months of jail term.
As per the court proceedings, Vinod Kumar was the MD of ORHDC from January 4, 2000 to May 15, 2001 while Mohapatra was the Company Secretary of the corporation.
On June 24, 2000, Metro Builders Pvt Limited had applied for term…
