KATHMANDU
As 2025 draws to a close, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) leaves behind a year marked by some of the most consequential corruption prosecutions in recent memory. From billion-rupee telecommunications procurements and national pride projects such as international airports to health sector contracts and municipal-level collusion, the anti-graft body pursued cases that cut across political, bureaucratic and institutional power centres.
Throughout the year, the CIAA filed a series of high-profile charge-sheets at the Special Court, naming former ministers, secretaries, heads of state-owned enterprises and senior civil servants. While convictions remain a matter for the court, the scale, subject matter and political sensitivity of the cases ensured that corruption stayed firmly in the national conversation in 2025.
Teramocs: A procurement case that defined the year
The year's most talked-about corruption case came in mid-May, when the CIAA filed a charge-sheet over alleged irregularities in the procurement of the Telecommunications Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (Teramocs) by the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA).
The case, filed at the Special Court against 16 individuals and two companies, alleged manipulation of tender procedures, unlawful decisions and financial loss amounting to over Rs. 3.21 billion. Among those charged was former minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet, along with senior officials of the NTA and representatives of private firms involved in the procurement.
The Teramocs project had long been controversial. Originally justified as a tool to curb call bypass fraud and enhance revenue collection, the system became synonymous with opaque decision-making, repeated delays and ballooning costs. By moving the case to court, the CIAA signalled its willingness to pursue politically sensitive cases involving former ministers, a move that set the tone for the rest of the year.
Pokhara International Airport: A mega project under scrutiny
If Teramocs dominated headlines in the first half of the year, the Pokhara Regional International Airport corruption case reshaped the national discourse in its final weeks.
In early December, the CIAA filed what is considered one of the largest corruption cases in Nepal's history in terms of alleged financial loss. The charge-sheet named more than 50 individuals, including five former ministers, former secretaries, senior officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), and representatives of a Chinese contractor involved in the project. The former ministers included in the charge-sheet are Ram Sharan Mahat, late Post Bahadur Bogati, Ram Kumar Shrestha, Bhim Prasad Acharya, and Deepak Chandra Amatya.
The CIAA alleged widespread irregularities in cost estimation, contract execution and decision-making during the construction of the airport, claiming losses of approximately USD 74 million, equivalent to over Rs. 8 billion. The airport, built with Chinese financing and long promoted as a gateway for tourism in western Nepal, had already faced criticism for operational challenges. The corruption case further complicated its legacy.
Politically, the Pokhara airport case stood out for its breadth, implicating multiple governments and administrations over several years, and underscoring the systemic nature of corruption risks in large infrastructure projects.
Nepal Telecom Billing System Case: State-owned enterprises under the lens
State-owned enterprises came under renewed scrutiny in June, when the CIAA filed a corruption case against 17 officials of Nepal Telecom, including its sitting managing director and former executives.
The case centred on alleged irregularities in the billing system procurement and maintenance contract, with the CIAA claiming losses of over Rs. 334 million. According to the charge-sheet, officials bypassed established procurement norms and approved decisions that benefited specific contractors.
The case reinforced a recurring theme in the CIAA's 2025 prosecutions: long-running contracts in technically complex sectors such as telecommunications often provide fertile ground for manipulation, especially where oversight mechanisms remain weak.
IT procurement at the National Information Technology Centre
Technology procurement again surfaced as a corruption risk area in July, when the CIAA filed a case against six individuals, including the former executive director of the National Information Technology Centre (NITC).
The charge-sheet alleged corruption worth approximately Rs. 158.85 million in the procurement of high-capacity IT equipment, accusing officials of inflating costs and violating procurement laws. The NITC, which plays a critical role in government data infrastructure and digital services, had been entrusted with major technology investments in recent years.
By pursuing the case, the CIAA highlighted vulnerabilities in public sector digitalisation efforts, where rapid technological change often outpaces regulatory capacity.
Health sector corruption: Senior officials charged
The health sector, already strained by governance challenges, also featured prominently in the CIAA's 2025 docket. In October, the anti-graft body filed a case against 14 individuals, including the Director General of the Department of Health Services, over alleged corruption related to project implementation and administrative decisions.
While the CIAA did not immediately disclose all financial details, the case was notable for targeting senior leadership within a critical public service institution. It reflected growing scrutiny of how health budgets and projects are managed, especially after years of expanded public spending following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kathmandu Metropolitan Sewer Contract Case
Corruption at the municipal level came into focus in June, when the CIAA filed a case against the former chief administrative officer of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and six others.
The case involved alleged collusion in awarding a Rs. 224 million sewer construction contract, despite lower bids submitted by other firms. Investigators accused officials of deliberately favouring a particular contractor, causing financial loss to the state.
The case resonated strongly with urban residents, for whom infrastructure quality and transparency in local government spending have become increasingly visible issues.
Bajura Maternity Centre: Corruption beyond the capital
Away from Kathmandu, the CIAA also pursued corruption cases in rural districts. In November, it filed a charge-sheet against six individuals over irregularities in the construction of a maternity centre in Bajura.
The case alleged misuse of public funds and substandard construction, highlighting how corruption directly undermines essential health services in remote areas. Though smaller in monetary terms than mega-project scandals, the Bajura case underscored the human cost of corruption, where misappropriated funds translate into inadequate facilities for vulnerable populations.
A year of signals, not conclusions
Together, these seven cases illustrate how 2025 became a defining year for the CIAA's prosecutorial posture. The commission pursued cases across sectors and administrative levels, from former ministers and national infrastructure projects to municipal contracts and rural health facilities.
Yet, as legal experts caution, filing cases is only the first step. Many of Nepal's high-profile corruption prosecutions have historically stalled or ended in acquittals, raising questions about investigative depth, evidence quality and judicial efficiency.
As 2026 approaches, the true impact of 2025's corruption cases will depend not only on the CIAA's resolve but also on the Special Court's ability to deliver timely and credible verdicts. For now, the year stands as a reminder that corruption remains deeply embedded in Nepal's governance structures-and that confronting it requires persistence far beyond headline-grabbing charge-sheets.