Kathmandu, January 9:

Chairman of the disbanded Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) Bhakta Bahadur Koirala today told the Commission headed by the former Appellate Court Judge Madhav Prasad Ojha that he did not know about the distribution of Rs 4.1 million of Prime Minister’s Relief Funds by the Sher Bahadur Deuba cabinet.

“I did not know whether it was the cabinet decision before filing a case against Deuba and other ex-ministers, but I knew that it was based on the cabinet decision only after the case was registered in the RCCC,” he said. He also added that it was the RCCC’s mistake to file a case on any matter of cabinet decision. The RCCC had later given a clean chit to Deuba and the ex-ministers.

A three-member panel leaded by Ojha has been interrogating Koirala. Koirala also reiterated that he did not order police to arrest Deuba at midnight. He also added that he is not answerable for every decision of the RCCC, but claimed that those who took decisions must take responsibility. Koirala also claimed that they used to take legal opinion from Judge Shambhu Khadka before taking any decision and prosecuting anyone, though he was the secretary of the RCCC. Recording his statement, Khadka yesterday claimed that he worked in the RCCC after the King had appointed him. “Due to the special circumstances, I had accepted the post as I thought that the King might have talked with the Chief Justice about my appointment,” he claimed.