Corruption Case: Orissa HC Upholds Order Convicting Congress MLA

The Orissa High Court on Wednesday has upheld the conviction of Congress MLA Mohammed Moquim in a corruption case.

The high court dismissed the appeal of Moquim who challenged the order of a vigilance court that sentenced him to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 in connection with a corruption case.

The special judge vigilance, Bhubaneswar, on September 29, 2022, convicted Moquim, the MLA of Barabati-Cuttack, in a corruption case.

The vigilance department in a statement said, Moquim, as the managing director of Metro Builders Pvt Ltd. in collusion with an IAS officer and others obtained pecuniary advantage in favour of the real-estate firm in the guise of loans meant for rural poor from the state-run Odisha Rural Housing & Development Corporation Ltd.

On October 19, 2022, the high court, stayed the order convicting Moquim, following which the vigilance department challenged it in the Supreme Court.

On September 22 last year, the top court directed the high court to dispose of the appeal pending before it within 6 months.