Corruption case filed at Special Court against seven people, including former minister,
Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court, Kathmandu against the then finance minister, former secretary of Madhesh province, former office-bearers of Bagmati Municipality and construction entrepreneur in connection with alleged irregularities in the second phase of the Bagmati Fun Park and Resort project.
According to the commission, Bagmati Municipality had prepared a detailed project report (DPR) for the project in the fiscal year 2076÷77 through consultants. The Municipal Development Fund (TDF) had invested a loan of around
Rs 120 million after evaluating the project as technically, environmentally and financially feasible. After that, the first phase of construction work was started after signing a contract agreement.
During the investigation, it was found that the structures which were not considered necessary in the first phase of the DPR and the works which were not in the cost estimate were included in the second phase. The Commission has concluded that in the name of safety of the under-construction structures, a decision was made to construct additional structures by preparing a new DPR and the contracting process was forwarded without studying the adequate requirement, risk analysis and return as per the cost. According to the commission, while preparing the DPR of the second phase, the original DPR of the first phase was not even reviewed, additional structures were included to benefit the contractors without informing the consultant and the cost estimate was prepared for the construction of retaining wall, shear wall, amphitheater, shop building and other structures in the area on the banks of the Bagmati River.
The commission alleges that the scheme has been implemented in such a way that it will put a huge financial burden on the state if it is not financially justified.
Likewise, while calling for the second phase of contracts, complex evaluation grounds have been put in place to limit competition against the Public Procurement Act and Local Government Operation Act, criteria have been included to suit certain contractors and decisions have been taken against the law in the public procurement process. The CIAA has claimed that the investigation has revealed that fake and forged documents were used in the evaluation of tenders. The Commission has filed the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 (2
059) concluding that these acts were colluding with the intention of causing damage, misuse and illegal benefit to public property.
According to the chargesheet, the then finance minister of Madhesh Province Shailendra Prasad Sah and then secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur have been accused of embezzling Rs 350 million each. Likewise, the anti-corruption case has been filed against the then mayor Bharat Kumar Thapa, deputy mayor Leela Kumari Muktan and the then Chief Administrative Officer Bimal Kumar Pokharel. Similarly, the Commission has filed a charge sheet against the then under-secretary of Madhesh Province, Uddhav Raj Neupane, while the charge sheet has been filed against the construction company Bikoi-Dhulikhel JV and its official representative Yubaraj Pokharel. The CIAA has filed a charge sheet at the Special Court, Kathmandu demanding imprisonment, fine equal to the amount and additional legal punishment as per the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 against all the defendants.
Similarly, a tax officer of the Inland Revenue Office in Lahan has been arrested with a bribe of five lakh.
The Commission for
the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has arrested Yuvraj M S Pal, a tax officer at the Inland Revenue Office, Lahan, with a bribe of five lakh rupees.
According to CIAA Spokesperson Suresh Neupane, the investigation was initiated based on a complaint that Pal, a tax officer working at the Inland Revenue Office in Lahan Municipality-6, Siraha, had asked for bribe by harassing the service seekers citing that the documents submitted for the full tax audit of the fiscal year 2078÷79 were not confirmed. A team from the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Bardibas on Thursday handed over Rs 100 lakh from the service recipients.
According to the CIAA, Pal was arrested with the cash and a mobile phone from his office after taking a bribe of Rs 5 lakh.
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