Corruption cases filed against Telecom and forest officials

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Mar. 18: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case of Rs. 16 million against Nepal Telecom's Technical Officer Nirmal Ratna Sitaula and a charge sheet against 24 individuals including Hemanta Prasad Sah, former division forest officer at the Division Forest Office in Mahottari, Chudamani Pokhrel, former ward chair of Bardibas Municipaity-1 and office bearers at the Consumer Committee at the Special Court, Kathmandu on Sunday.

Additionally, the CIAA appealed cases at the Supreme Court after being dissatisfied with verdicts of the Special Court, Kathmandu on different dates. 

The CIAA appealed the Special Court's case no 077-CR-0024, which presented Suresh Kumar Sharma and his wife Babita Phuyal as defendants, and case no. 075-CR-0144, which presented Nepal Oil Corporation’s then Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka, his wife Sharmila Khadka and Amita Lama as defendants. 

The CIAA demanded a fine of Rs. 30 million from Suresh Kumar and Rs. 180 million from Gopal Bahadur for misusing their authority and embezzling government money. 

According to the CIAA, Officer Sitaula held a position of director in the Himdung and Thokar Construction Company by holding promoter shares and signed in various contracts including Suryabinayak-Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas Road Project as a representative of the company despite being a permanent employee of the Nepal Telecom. 

Sitaula was found working against the rule 81 (3) of the former Nepal Telecommunications Company Limited Employee Regulation-2004 and rule 101 of the Nepal Telecommunications Company Limited Employee Regulation-2021. The CIAA demanded punishment for him under Clause-14 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002 and a fine of Rs. 16,120,004. 

Meanwhile, Hemanta Prasad Sah, former division forest officer and other 23 individuals were found involved in registering plots of the Ramteldanda Community Forest Area in Bardibas Municipality-1 of Mahottari district in the joint-name of Lilamani Acharya and Krishna Prasad Gautam, residents of the same area, and cutting and selling of 406 trees of various species causing a loss of Rs. 1.1 million to the government. 

The CIAA demanded a fine Rs. 1,196,695 and punishment in accordance with the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002 to each of the defendants.