Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, January 28

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is expected to complete its probe into corruption charges against 26 former ministers and high-ranking government officials within a month.

The anti-graft body had begun the probe after it initiated action against 40 former-ministers and high-ranking officials on charges of corruption a few months ago.

Ten among the 40, against whom the commission had initiated action, have already got clean chit while four are facing corruption cases at the Special Court.

Former-ministers Govinda Raj Joshi and Rabindra Nath Sharma and former government secretaries Chakra Bandhu Aryal and Padam Prasad Pokhrel are facing corruption charges at the court. They, however, have been released on bail.

"We would likely to finish the probe into the remaining 26 ex-ministers and government officials within a month," a CIAA official said. "Following the investigation, some of them might face corruption charges at the Special Court," he said. "We have collected details on their properties."

Former PM Girija Prasad Koirala, former-ministers Arjun Narasingh KC, Laxman Prasad Ghimire, Surendra Hamal, Moti Prasad Pahadi and Jhalak Nath Wagle are some of the politicians facing CIAA probe. Investigation into the corruption charges against KC, Ghimire, Hamal, Pahadi and Wagle has been reported to have reached near completion. The commission has been investigating corruption cases against them based on the report of Judicial Investigation Commission on Property.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has been hearing the writs filed against CIAA by some of the leaders including Koirala.