If convicted, the defendants could also face jail terms and fines
Corruption cases no longer raise eyebrows in this country as they are reported in the media at such regularity and frequency that they have become a part and parcel of Nepali life. In recent months, Nepal has been rocked by high-profile corruption cases, dragging former prime ministers, ministers, secretaries and members of parliament into controversy for their alleged involvement. The fake Bhutanese refugee scam, Lalita Niwas land grab scam and Pashupati Jalahari scam, to name just a few, have created quite a sensation in the country. And now another corruption case is poised to create a stir, with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filing a case against nine individuals, including incumbent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Madhu Kumar Marasini, at the Special Court, accusing them of embezzling Rs 232 million during the purchase of the National Payment Gateway (NPG) system. The other eight include senior officials at the National Information Technology Centre (NITC) and Nepal Telecom.
The e-payment gateway system was procured six years ago without ensuring the required infrastructure for it. Thus, the system has failed to come into operation till date, causing huge financial losses to the government. According to the charge-sheet, Marasini, who was then the head of the budget and programme bureau of the Ministry of Finance, had allocated a budget of Rs 250 million for the NPG project in collusion with the other defendants without following the due process.
The CIAA claims the defendants violated the Procurement Act and Procurement Regulations by not having a master plan ready as is required for any purchase exceeding Rs 100 million. No banks, financial institutions or other stakeholders were consulted during the purchase of the software. There was no study before the procurement, identification of the stakeholders, approval of the estimated cost or approval of the estimated cost. Marasini had purchased the NPG which was not included in the ministry's budget and programme.
The CIAA has sought to recoup the embezzled amount as well as fines equal to that amount from the defendants. If convicted, they could also face jail terms. It remains to be seen how the case will proceed although the CIAA has shown high success in the conviction rates. The least the government can do is not to intervene as was blatantly seen in the fake Bhutanese refugee and Lalita Niwas land grab scandals.
Thousands of complaints related to corruption, fake certificates, damage to public property, revenue leakage and illegal amassing of property are registered with the CIAA annually. In fiscal 2022-23, the CIAA registered a total of 28,067 complaints, according to its annual report presented to the President on Monday. While it's the big cases involving high-profile people that create a furore among the people, corruption seems to run deep in the local levels, that is, the 753 municipalities and rural municipalities. According to the CIAA report, almost 36 per cent of all cases registered with the anti-corruption body had to do with the local levels. It is always good to nip the irregularities in the bud before they get out of hand.
Local level corruption
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) submitted its 33rd Annual Report to President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday, highlighting the corruption cases it filed against 766 individuals in 162 cases in fiscal year 2022/23. During the fiscal year, it received as many as 20,905 complaints through different channels.
The CIAA said most of the cases it received were related to the local level government, which accounted for 35.95 per cent of all complaints. The way the complaints are received against the local level officials, it indicates that they have problems in ensuring good governance. Two terms of local level elections have so far been held, but the level of corruption and irregularities there seem to be much higher than thought. It may be due to sheer lack of knowledge and expertise on the part of the elected officials and government employees in handling fiscal budgets earmarked for social and development programmes. The local levels are the backbone of democracy, and they need to be strengthened by providing training on budget handling as per the laws. The level of corruption can be minimised provided that the elected officials get basic training on how to handle the budget.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 4, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
