Kathmandu, December 12

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority arrested Inspector Jaya Nepal Thapa of Metropolitan Police Crime Division with bribe of Rs 40,000 he received from a relative of person against whom Kathmandu District Court had issued arrest warrant in fraud case.

Joint Secretary Pradip Kumar Koirala, CIAA spokesperson said Inspector Thapa was taken into custody from Suddha Sakahari Khajaghar, a restaurant, in Lalitpur Metropolitan City-15, yesterday.

The police officer had

demanded the amount in bribe with the promise of settling the case without arresting the fraud suspect. The anti-graft body said it had launched further investigation into the case. MPCD is the key investigating body of Nepal Police in Kathmandu and it deals with various cases, including henious crime.

Bribe solicitation by police officials continues to pose threat to free and fair criminal investigation despite frequent sting operations conducted by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.  The CIAA has filed as many as 118 charge-sheets against 267 persons, including 223 public post holders, at the Special Court during the first quarter of the current fiscal.

Cases related to on the spot arrest while receiving bribe topped the chart (67), followed by financial irregularities (40) and fake academic credentials (11). Those facing charges were two gazetted special class officers, six joint secretaries, 20 under-secretaries, 91 section officers or equivalent, 88 non-gazetted first class officers or equivalent, 19 classless employees and 44 middlemen colluding with government officials.

The CIAA said as many as 67 persons were arrested with bribe money they received from service-seekers in its 62 sting operations, an increase by around 41 per cent compared to corresponding period of last fiscal.