Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 26:

Producing what they termed “ample evidence” to prove irregularities in the construction of access roads for the Melamchi Drinking Water Project (MDWP) before the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) bench, government advocates today demanded that former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and former minister Prakash Man Singh be kept in further detention till prosecution is complete. The hearing on whether the duo should be released on bail or kept in detention began today with government advocates Rajendra Subedi and Tek Bahadur Ghimire producing evidences that they said would prove Deuba’s and Singh’s involvement in the irregularities. The contract to build the access roads was awarded to CCECC-Sharma and Lama. Pleading before the bench, Subedi claimed tender was invited without the financial estimation being approved and contract was awarded unsystematically even as the National Vigilance Centre (NVC), which was investigating the case, had not asked the MDWP to halt work. However, Subedi claimed that the executive director of the Melamchi Drinking Water Supply Board, Dhruba Bahadur Shrestha, sent the file to then minister for physical planning and works, Prakash Man Singh, citing disruption in the work.

Later Singh forwarded the file to Deuba, who gave a go-ahead to the work. “A prime minister has no such rights,” Subedi said. Advocate Ghimire, too, suspected that the awarding of the contract was a pre-meditated act. The hearing will continue tomorrow, according to RCCC spokesperson Prem Raj Karki. Defense lawyers representing their clients will plead tomorrow.

While Deuba and Singh have not appointed counsels for themselves, the other co-accused —

former secretary Tika Dutta Niraula, Dhruba Bahadur Shrestha, deputy executive director Deepak Kumar Jha and contractor Jip Tshering Lama have appointed their counsels.

Court moved against RCCC

KATHMANDU: Advocate Dinesh Tripathi on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging Supreme Court Registrar Dr Ram Krishna Timalsena’s recent rejection order to examine the constitutionality of the formation of the Royal Commission for Corruption Control. The petitioner has claimed that the issue should be examined by judges’ bench and not by the Registrar. “The Registrar has no right to decide on any constitutional issues,” he has claimed in the petition. — HNS