KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 22
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority received a total of 24,331 complaints of corruption, financial irregularities, and loss to public assets in the fiscal 2021-22.
Of the total complaints, 8,093 were carried forward from 2020-21. According to the 32nd annual report submitted to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari yesterday, the CIAA registered 16,238 new complaints in 2021-22 and carried forward 8,093 complaints from the previous fiscal, totalling 24,331. The anti-graft body settled 17,169 (70.6 per cent) of 24,331 complaints in 2021-22 and the success rate was 67.5 per cent. Around 64.23 per cent complaints were settled last fiscal.
The report said 7,162 complaints received in 2021-22 had been carried forward to the running fiscal 2022-23, while the remaining complaints were either pending or proceeded for further investigation.
Of the sector-wise distribution of complaints registered in 2021-22, the highest 33.1 per cent were related to federal affairs (including local levels). Following federal affairs, 15.3 per cent were related to the education sector, 7.7 per cent to land administration, 4.6 per cent to forests and environment, 3.9 per cent to health and population, 3.8 per cent to physical infrastructure and transport, 3.8 per cent to home administration, 3.2 per cent to tourism, industry and commerce, and 3.2 per cent to energy and water resources.
Similarly, 2.9 per cent were related to water supply and urban development, 1.9 per cent to agriculture and livestock, and 0.9 per cent to communication and information technology. Complaints pertaining to fake academic credentials comprised 5.7 per cent, disproportionate assets or embezzlement of state funds (4.8 per cent) and other agencies and sectors (3 per cent).
As per the report, the CIAA filed as many as 131 chargesheets against 639 persons, mostly public office holders, at the Special Court, claiming around Rs 2.79 billion in question from them in 2021- 22.
Of them, 35 charge-sheets are related to loss to public assets, 34 related to accumulation of disproportionate assets or financial embezzlement, 32 related to bribery, seven related to illegal earnings, six related to fake credentials, five related to revenue leakage and 12 others.
Only 113 charge-sheets were filed against 443 persons at the court, claiming around Rs 1.89 billion in 2020-21.
The court passed its verdict on 148 cases in 2021-22. Of them, only 57 cases were incriminated by the court, the lowest conviction rate (38.5 per cent) in the 32-year-old history of the CIAA. The conviction rate was 71.68 per cent in 2020-21.
According to the report, the CIAA had adopted preventive, promotional and punitive measures for corruption control in the country.
Corruption is rampant in public offices, including local levels, where service seekers are rarely given services without bribe money.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 23, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
