Corruption case filed against 3 on security printing scam

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, May 13: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a charge sheet against six individuals including the then Executive Director of the Security Printing Centre (SPC) Bikal Paudel, National Information Technology Centre’s then Director Safal Shrestha and the Ministry of Forest and Environment’s the then Chief Divisional 

Engineer (mechanical) Nabin Kumar Pokhrel at the Special Court on Sunday.

According to the CIAA, the defendants caused a loss of more than Rs. 400 million to the government in purchasing software and equipment for the SPC. It informed that defendants Paudel, Shrestha and Pokharel had used funds from two programmes in one programme (Paper Based Press Machinery). 

Defendants Shrestha and Pokharel had formed a committee under their coordination intending to award Contract No. SPC/G/NCB-01/077-79 to Max International and its CEO Akbar Hussain. 

During the purchase, a foreign company 'Bancotec Pte Ltd. Singapore' which was responsible for importing the equipment had deposited the commission amount in the foreign bank account of Paudel at United Overseas Bank (UOB), Singapore, and in the bank account of his wife at Bank of America, New York, USA.  

Additionally, instead of purchasing the Card-Based Press machinery Software and hardware and related equipment, they had bought two Printing presses with higher capacity which was not even needed and The Critical IT System which had not come into use till now. 

In the case, the CIAA has presented SPC the then account officer Khadga Bahadur Thapa, Department head Hariballav Ghimire and Max International CEO Akbar Hussain as defendants.

The CIAA demanded a fine of Rs. 408,574,740 from each defendant and punishment in accordance with the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002.