Kathmandu, January 6:

Acting Chief Commissioner of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lalit Bahadur Limbu said today the House should soon ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption to curb corruption.

“The ratification of the convention can help us control corruption,” Limbu said while interacting with senior government officials at the CIAA Office in Tangal.

He said there is an urgent need to set up regional offices of the CIAA in all five development regions and good governance units in ministries, adding that these offices and units will help control corruption and irregularities at the regional level.

Another commissioner Beda Prasad Siwakoti said: “The CIAA has stopped taking departmental action against public servants involved in irregularities after the Supreme Court issued directives to the CIAA, telling it only to recommend action against such officials.” “We have only been recommending authorities to take action against anyone found involved in corruption or irregularities,” Siwakoti said.

Interacting with CIAA commissioners, Chief Secretary of the government Bhoj Raj Ghimire said the CIAA should focus on big corruption scandals rather than petty corruption cases. Ghimire said the bureaucracy is ready to help the CIAA control corruption.