CIAA Files Corruption Case Against 32 Individuals Over Wide-Body Aircraft Procurement

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has unearthed a tangled web of corruption within the Nepal Airlines Corporation’s (NAC) procurement process for two wide-body aircraft. Following a meticulous investigation, the CIAA has concluded that nefarious activities tainted the acquisition, prompting swift legal action against those implicated in the scandal.

On Thursday, the CIAA filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 32 individuals implicated in the controversial aircraft purchase.

The case, amounting to a staggering Rs 1.47 billion, alleges corrupt practices during the procurement process of the wide-body aircraft. The CIAA has demanded compensation equivalent to the amount involved in the corruption.

Among the prominent figures named in the case is former tourism minister Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, who is currently a central member of the Nepali Congress party and the leader of the Karnali Congress parliamentary party. Shahi, a former Chief Minister, is accused of involvement in the corrupt practices related to the aircraft procurement.

Furthermore, the CIAA has included former Managing Director of NAC Sugat Ratna Kansakar, former Tourism Secretary Shankar Adhikari, former Secretary Shishir Kumar Dhungana, and Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane in the case. Alongside them, several other individuals, including Tek Nath Acharya, Nima Nuru Sherpa, Muktiram Pandey, Jeevan Sitaula, Achyut Raj Pahadi, and six foreign nationals, have been named as defendants.

Notably, Kansakar, although not currently holding any public office, has been implicated in the corruption case. The NAC had reportedly borrowed Rs 24 billion from the Citizen Investment Trust and Employee Provident Fund to finance the purchase of the two wide-body aircraft.