KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 18
The anti-graft body registered a corruption case at the Special Court against 15 individuals, including former secretaries, regarding irregularities in the Melamchi Drinking Water Project, a national pride project.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed graft cases against consultants and the construction company, CMC, for receiving payment before initiating construction works.
Damages to public property led to cases against former secretary Sanjay Sharma, Joint-Secretary Mukunda Prasad Poudel, Bhim Prasad Upadhyay, and Gajendra Kumar Thakur, among others.
The CIAA demanded fines totaling millions from each accused, including Rs 60 million from Sharma and Poudel, over Rs 600 million from Thakur, and over Rs 710 million from Chandra Bahadur Thapa.
Executive Directors Ram Chandra Devkota and Surya Raj Kandel face fines of Rs 323.5 million and Rs 890.8 million, respectively. Other accused individuals include Mani Bhadra Neupane, Ram Chandra Neupane, Beg Nath Poudel, Kedar Prasad Aryal, and Bhoj Bikram Thapa.
The CIAA also seeks fines from consulting firm personnel and companies, including Shiva Kumar Sharma (Eptisa-BETS JV), Eptisa Services De Ingenieris S.L, BETS Consulting Services Ltd JV, and CMC di Ravena.
Fines range from Rs 447.3 million for Aryal to Rs 651.4 million for CMC di Ravena. The total fine sought from all parties amounts to Rs 875.8 million.
