KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 9
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a chargesheet at the Special Court against Toran Bahadur Karki, account officer of Lalitpur-based Water Resources Research Development Centre, for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth around Rs 46 million.
The CIAA had launched a thorough investigation into his property status and income source after it received a complaint that he had accummulated illegal assets.
The anti-graft body said Karki managed to establish the income source of only Rs 11 million of the assets, both moveable and immovable, worth around Rs 57.5 million he had claimed to have earned after joining government office on 30 May 1996.
A press release issued by the CIAA claimed that Karki was found to have accumulated illegal assets of around Rs 46 million through corruption and financial irregularities till last fiscal as he failed to establish legitimate sources and supporting evidences thereof.
Of his total assets worth around Rs 57.5 million that Karki allegedly earned as a government employee during the period, his legitimate assets calculated by the anti-graft body was only Rs 11 million. The source of Rs 46 million could not be established.
Karki had purchased houses and lands in his and his wife Urmila Thapa's name, besides purchasing shares of various firms and companies and depositing in banks. He seems to have accumulated disproportionate property through corruption, the anti-graft body said.
The CIAA has sought maximum punishment against Karki and recovery of disproportionate amount in question as per Section 20 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002. The anti-graft body has also listed his wife as defendant in the chargesheet under the act for confiscation of illegal assets.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 10, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
