Kathmandu, October 26

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today filed a chargesheet against 25 officials of the Department of Foreign Employment at the Special Court, in Kathmandu on the charge of issuing work permits to outbound Nepali migrant workers on the basis of fake documents.

Issuing a press statement today, the anti-graft body informed that these officials had issued work permits to 184 Nepali women migrants bound for Kuwait between August 25 and October 25 last year by accepting fake documents.

After the CIAA received numerous complaints about DoFE officials issuing work permits to migrants going to various labour destinations without visa and necessary documents, the commission started a probe a few months ago. The CIAA probe found DoFE officials issuing work permits illegally, informed Madan Koirala, deputy spokesperson for CIAA.

According to CIAA, the chargesheet has been filed against section officers Hari Prasad Devkota, Deepak Kumar Acharya, Ganesh Bikram Shah, Dinesh Kumar Rai, Pabitra Shrestha and Ram Prasad Oli. Similarly, the chargesheet has also named non-gazetted first class officers Amar Raj Joshi, Bishnu Hari Niraula, Dil Bahadur Khatri, Hem Raj Pandey, Karna Bahadur Nepali, Kedar Ghimire, Madan Giri, Khagendra Pokhrel, Laxmi Devi Bhusal, Nagendra Prasad Gautam, Rabindra Ghimire, Raghunath KC, Yogendra Khatri and  Keshav Raj Dhungana as guilty of issuing work permits illegally.

Likewise, the anti-graft body has filed chargesheet against computer operators Amar Mahara, Chakra Bahadur Parajuli, Dambar Bahadur Bishwokarma, Dhanbir Singh Bhat and Raj Kumar Shahi, for their involvement in anomalies while

issuing work permits.

“We have filed case against these people under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002,” informed Koirala.

The CIAA probe had also found that these officials were involved in financial embezzlement while issuing work permits.

The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security had earlier suspended the aforementioned officials suspecting their involvement in issuing work permits illegally at DoFE.

Meanwhile, Dilip Kumar Chapagain, director general at DoFE, stated that the department was committed to effectively managing the foreign employment sector and curbing frauds in the department.

“We are focusing on implementing technology-driven digital services in the foreign employment sector, which will be crucial in ensuring accountability. Moreover, we are also mobilising different mechanisms to cross-check possible frauds and control them,” said Chapagain.