KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 7
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a chargesheet at the Special Court against Assistant Health Worker Bindu Koirala of Chapakot Municipality, Syangja, for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth around Rs 9 mlillion.
The CIAA had launched a thorough investigation into his property status and income source after it received a complaint of illegal assets accumulated by him. The anti-graft body said Koirala managed to establish the income source of only Rs 29.7 million out of the assets, both moveable and immovable, worth around Rs 38.8 million he had claimed to have earned after joining government office on 21 October 1997.
A press release issued by the CIAA claimed that Koirala was found to have accumulated illegal assets worth around Rs 9 million through corruption and financial irregularities till the last fiscal as he failed to establish legitimate sources and supporting evidences thereof.
Of his total assets worth around Rs 38.8 million that Koirala allegedly earned as a government employee during the period, his legitimate assets calculated by the anti-graft body was only Rs 9 million. The source of Rs 29.7 million could not be established.
Koirala had purchased houses and lands in addition to depositing cash in banks in his and his wife Gita's names 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 Koirala 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. Meanwhile, the CIAA said it had filed 13 cases of disproportionate assets against 30 persons in the last fiscal 2022-23.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 8, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
