Kathmandu, February 2:

The Ojha Commission, which investigated and prepared a report on the excessive force used by the disbanded Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) against democratic leaders, could not submit its report to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today because the PM had no time to receive it, a member of the commission told this daily.

The commission is headed by former Appellate Court Judge Madhav Prasad Ojha.

“We could not submit the report to the PM as he had no time to receive it,” said Ram Prasad Gaudel, a member of the Ojha Commission. “We have been trying to fix an appointment to meet the PM,” he said.

The Ojha Commission prepared the report on January 23. “We hope that the PM will give us time next week,” Gaudel said.

The Ojha Commission has decided to recommend the government to prosecute members and officials of the RCCC on sedition and corruption charges.

The commission has recommend the government to jail chairman of the RCCC Bhakata Bahadur Koirala and its members Haribabu Chaudhary, Shambhu Khanal, Raghuchandra Bahadur Singh, Prem Bahadur Khati for three years and impose on each of them a fine of one lakh rupees.

The Ojha Commission has recommended the government to publicly list them as assistants of autocracy and human rights abusers. It has also recommended the government to enlist them as persons ineligible for government jobs.

The commission has also recommended the Judicial Council to take departmental action against judge Shambhu Khadka, who had worked in the RCCC without taking permission from the Judicial Council.

Acting Chief Justice during the royal regime, Bhairav Prasad Lamsal, had failed to protect the independence of the judiciary, the report said, urging the government to include him on the list of persons who are not eligible for appointments in government jobs.