INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, AUGUST 17The 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.
RSP lawmakers file certiorari in Patan High Court
against EC
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.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com