KATHMANDU, AUGUST 17
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a chargesheet at the Special Court against seven persons, including former chief administrative officer of Marchwari Rural Municipality, Rupandehi for their alleged involvement in bribery, financial embezzlement and corruption.
Those indicted by the anti-graft body are former CAO of the rural municipality Laxman Aryal, his son Pawan Kumar Aryal, former chair of Ward No 5 Gulab Yadav, former chair of Ward No 3 Narayan Bahadur Yadav, proprietor of Rupandehi-based Samriddha Nepal Energy Binod Babu Tiwari, former member of rural municipality executive body Rajesh Harijan and proprietor of Rupandehi-based Mansarovar Training Institute Amarish Yadav.
According to a press release issued by the CIAA, it had launched a wide-ranging investigation on the basis of a file received from the National Vigilance Centre, which conducted preliminary investigation after a complaint was lodged regarding the embezzlement of tens of thousands of rupees in the guise of development plans and programmes in the rural municipality.
It has been found that former CAO Laxman had received commission and bribe amounting to Rs 1.34 million from various groups involved in development activities and programmes while releasing payment to them during the fiscal 2020-21. Laxman had asked them to deposit the amount in the bank account of his son Pawan in cahoots of other defendants who were directly or indirectly involved in the financial embezzlement.
All the defendants have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002. The CIAA informed that it had sought maximum punishment against them. If convicted, they would be liable to jail sentence along with recovery of amount ranging from Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.34 million and a fine equivalent to the amount in question each depending on the gravity of the offence.
A survey conducted by the CIAA on 'Status of Corruption and Good Governance in Nepal' has categorically identified 14 public offices, including local levels, which are most corruption-sensitive.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
