KATHMANDU, JANUARY 30

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed a corruption case against Rajendra Basnet, a suspended office assistant of Land Revenue Office, Chabahil, at the Special Court today accusing him of embezzling Rs 8.98 crore.

The CIAA said in its charge-sheet that during Basnet’s service his legal earning between the period he joined the service and the date when the anti-graft body concluded investigation against him was only Rs 7,473,373 but he invested Rs 97,331,986 through his family members.

Basnet was appointed office assistant of Land Revenue Office, Kathmandu, on 5 November 1988. The CIAA said Rs 1,100,000 was seized from Basnet on 11 October 2018 when he was arrested in connection with another corruption case. He was initially accused of not depositing the government revenue to the department concerned.

The anti-graft body also named his wife Sita Basnet, mother Tuku Kumari Basnet and nephew Kripa Basnet defendants in the case to recoup the illegally earned money from them. The anti-graft body stated in the charge-sheet that Basnet had kept cash and land in the name of his family members.

The CIAA invoked several sections of the anti-corruption laws seeking to recoup the embezzled money from the defendants. If convicted, Basnet will face jail sentence and be asked to pay fine equivalent to the amount in question.