Kathmandu, September 13

Minister for Youth and Sports Purushottam Paudel today claimed the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority’s decision to recommend the Prime Minister to take action against him was baseless and that he would knock the court doors if necessary.

The CIAA on Friday had recommended the Prime Minister to take action against minister Paudel’s improper act while appointing member secretary of National Sports Council. “It is said that parliamentary body like CIAA reached the decision without any proof,” said Minister Paudel, who is also the ex officio President of the sports’ governing body, at a press conference. “The decision is biased and we will knock the doors of court if the decisions are not reviewed,” he said.

The CIAA had accused Paudel of breaching rules and regulations while appointing Member Secretary Keshab Kumar Bista. According to CIAA, Bista was ineligible person to take the government post as he was serving one-year suspension from the NSC after the Nepal Sepak Takraw Association vice-president was found to have helped player Aman Pode flee in South Korea during the 17th Asian Games in Incheon last year.

The Asian Games Preparation Working Committee formed by the MoYS under the leadership of minister Paudel 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.

The four players ­— athlete Tilak Ram Tharu, sepak takraw player Aman Pode and wushukas Niranjan Ale Magar and Sombir Tamang — who stayed back in Korea were handed 10-year ban each. But Paudel today said the committee had recommended the NSC for the action and the sports’ governing body failed to do so.

“As stated by the CIAA, the NSC never took action and we have formed a committee to study the recommendations and the delay in process,” he said. The minister’s statement meant the four players are also not suspended.

Member Secretary Bista said the CIAA’s decision was laughable. “The CIAA has stated that the actions were taken as per the Facilitation Procedures of NSC.

But there is no such any document with us,” he said. “I have been repeatedly saying that I never received any letter from the NSC regarding the action,” said Bista. “If the government initiates action as per the CIAA recommendation, we will have no option to go to court,” he said.