KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 18
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today filed a charge-sheet against Pramod Nepal, a suspended under-secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, at the Special Court for allegedly receiving bribe from a service-seekers and committing an offence of corruption.
The anti-graft body had arrested Under-secretary Nepal, who was also in-charge of Civil Aviation Division at the MoCT- CA, with a bribe of Rs 600,000 that he received from a service-seeker in return for issuing a paragliding licence. He was taken into CIAA custody from the premises of Hattisar-based Aranya Boutique Hotel on August 2.
During the search of a vehicle being used by Under-secretary Nepal, CIAA officials had also found Rs 1.65 million whose source he failed to reveal.
CIAA Spokesperson Shyam Prasad Bhandri said that the suspended under-secretary was charged with two counts of corruption at the court under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002. In the first count of corruption, the anti-graft body has sought a fine equivalent to the bribe of Rs 600,000 that he received from the service-seeker and imprisonment for a term from one year and six months to two years and six months, as per Section 3 of the act.
The second count of corruption is related to a sum of Rs 1.65 million found by the CIAA from Nepal's vehicle. A thorough investigation conducted by the anti-graft body indicates that he had borrowed the amount from Chief Executive Officer of BB Airways Pvt Ltd Haribhakta Shrestha after renewal of licence.
The CIAA has sought confiscation of the amount along with imprisonment for a term anywhere between three to six months under section 5 of the act.
The anti-graft body has also charged CEO Shrestha as an accomplice for providing cash to a civil servant in return for renewing license and sought punishment as equal to suspended under-secretary Nepal under section 5 of the act. If proven guilty, CEO Shrestha will be liable to a fine equivalent to the amount he lent and imprisonment for a term ranging from three to six months.
A version of this article appears in the print on September 19, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
