An Indian court has sentenced four people involved in a US$530 million letter of credit (L/C) scam in the Assam Veterinary Department.

The Court of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sentenced all four to jail terms of five years.

Civil servants

Businessman Rajen Bora, who is said to be the ringleader in the scam, was one of those sentenced. The court acquitted his wife, Indira Bora.

Three of those sentenced were civil servants employed at the time of the scam by the northeast Indian state of Assam. Inamul Haque was the sub-divisional veterinary officer, Makibul Islam was an accountant in the same office while Tankeswar Saikia was an accountant in Sonari Sub-Treasury office of Sivasagar, a district of Assam.

More trials

This is one of 15 cases brought before the state's courts in frauds in which public sector employees allegedly played key roles. Trials associated with these matters began in 1996.

The authorities suspect that other parts of the civil service may also have provided a backdrop for similar L/C frauds and have called for 'irregularities' across 10 state government departments to be investigated.

This article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the ICC or any of the other partners in DC-PRO.