CIAA urges PM to take action against minister Paudel

Kathmandu, September 11 The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today urged Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to take action against Youth and Sports Minister Purushottam Paudel for breaching rules while appointing Keshab Kumar Bista as the Member Secretary of National Sports Council. Paudel had appointed Bista as the chief of Nepali sports on June 25.

But the anti-corruption body said Paudel violated Sections 3(c), 3(d) and 3(g) of CIAA Act while appointing Bista. “As minister Paudel has appointed an ineligible person who was serving one-year suspension, he should be booked as per section 12(a) for doing improper act,” CIAA said in a release.

“We had received complaint against minister Paudel that accused him of appointing Bista, who had taken four persons in the name of athletes — taking Rs 1.5 million each — to Incheon Asian Games held in September-October last year and help them flee in South Korea,” added CIAA release. “The CIAA found minister Paudel guilty of appointing a person who was serving his suspension of one year for his involvement in helping athletes flee in South Korea.”

The Asian Games Preparation Working Committee formed by the MoYS — headed by minister Paudel himself – had on October 18 last year suspended the coaches and managers of wushu, athletics and sepak takraw for one year after they were found guilty of helping athletes flee in South Korea during the 17th Asian Games.

Bista was manager of Nepali sepak takraw team in the Incheon Games and Sepak takraw player Aman Pode was one of the four Nepali athletes who stayed back in South Korea. The committee had also asked the NSC to take departmental action against the culprits. The CIAA has also instructed the MoYS to take necessary action against the illegal appointment of Bista.

“The appointment of Bista as the Member Secretary of National Sports Council is illegal and the action should be taken as per the section 12(b) of CIAA Act,” the CIAA statement said. Likewise, the CIAA has also instructed the NSC to seek clarification from chief of Association Coordination Department Tek Prasad Katel for not keeping the government documents safely and not done the job properly and also take necessary departmental action against him.