KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 28

The Special Court has convicted nine defendants, including Nepali Congress lawmaker Tek Bahadur Gurung in a corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.

Five out of 14 defendants - former treasurer of Social Welfare Council Ratna Gaha Magar, former SWC director Madan Prasad Rimal, former SWC deputy director Bal Bahadur Swar, former legal advisers of SWC Prem Singh Dhami and Jagadev Chaudhary were acquitted of the charge, according to Spokesperson for the Special Court Dipendranath Yogi.

The court will conduct hearing on March 9 do decide the punishment.

The CIAA had, on 5 February 2019, filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 14 persons, including former minister of women, children and social welfare and former chair of social welfare council Badri Prasad Neupane, former vice-chair of SWC Pramod Mehata, former treasurer of SWC Kunja Bihari Prasad Chaudhary, former members of SWC Hari Neupane, Mohan Raj Sharma, Madan Kumar Lal Karna, and former member secretary of SWC Ravindra Kumar.

Lawmaker Gurung was convicted for his role as an accomplice in the case. The verdict was delivered by a bench of Chair of Special Court Shree Kanta Paudel, Judges Shaligram Koirala and Balbhadra Bastola.

The CIAA had accused the defendants of not following legal procedure while renting 60 ropani land on Fun Park at Bhrikuti Mandap.

A meeting of the Board of Directors of SWC held on 5 September 2012 had awarded the contract to Rabindra Gurung to run Fun Park for a monthly rent of Rs 555,000 (inclusive of all taxes) for 15 years.

The anti-graft body had stated that as per the government contract rules, the defendants were required to award the contract through tender process, but they did not comply with this provision. It also said the defendants awarded the contract for 15 years for a very low amount violating public procurement laws.

It said Icchumati Vegetable Market, near Bhrikuti Mandap was awarded contract for a rent of Rs 78,571 per ropani land, while Fun Park land was rented for only Rs 9,250 per month. The CIAA said the former SWC office bearers rented the fun park at a much lower price compared to the market rate.

CIAA has sought to recoup Rs 315,217,675 each from former minister Neupane, Mehata, Chaudhary, Sharma, Karna, Tek Bahadur Gurung ( Bhrikuti Mandap Fun Park operator) Rabindra Gurung (main operator of Bhrikuti Mandap Fun Park).

It has named former treasurer of SWC Ratna Gaha Magar, former directors of SWC Madan Prasad Rimal, former deputy director of SWC Bal Bahadur Swar, former legal advisers of SWC Prem Singh Dhami and Jagadev Chaudhary, but has not claimed any amount from them.

The defendants had first awarded the contract on 6 September 2003 for a monthly rent of Rs 9,250 which was upgraded and extended on 5 September 2012.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 1, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.