Mandatory Laundry

Entrenched corruption and impunity have cost our country dearly. One corruption scandal after another comes to light over time and investigations open but most stop midway when the needle turns towards the high and mighty. In the last several years, the prosecution has largely been selective and cosmetic. Hence, the problem keeps plaguing the country all along. The case of controversial businessman Dipak Bhatta sheds light on the dire state of the situation. The head of Infinity Holdings has been arrested on charges of questionable activities ranging from acquiring large public procurement contracts, licenses of hydropower projects, banks and insurance companies through political and pecuniary influence and even altering tax rates in the budget speech. Bhatta is also accused of manipulating capital market transactions. An investigation into the irregularities was initiated three years ago and his statement taken but it was shelved, reportedly under political influence. 

As the probe proceeded, several businessmen, including industrialist Shekhar Golchha, have come under scrutiny and he too has been detained by the police. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) has sought more details of the shareholders of companies Bhatta is associated with. A couple of days ago, the Revenue Investigation Department filed a corruption case worth Rs. 685 million against Bikal Poudel, former executive director of Security Printing Press, and his wife Alina Basnet. They have been accused of money laundering through the misappropriation of foreign exchange. Meanwhile, another case has come to light in which leading construction companies, in collusion with a hacker, Diwakar Deuja, breached the e-procurement system of the government to secure large contracts. A news report published in this daily stated that bid-related information was leaked through a fake website and financial proposals tampered with to win lucrative contracts. Deuja built trust among contractors by sharing competitors’ bid amounts, claiming he could alter financial proposals and guarantee contract success. Obviously, he charged millions for the job.  

Rampant corruption, nepotism and favouritism was one of the main reasons behind growing dissatisfaction among the youth, leading to an unprecedented Gen Z eruption in September that ousted the KP Sharma Oli government. The interim government led by Sushila Karki conducted federal parliament elections on March 5, which routed the old parties, giving nearly two-thirds majority to the Rastriya Swatantra Party. A powerful government has come into place under charismatic leader Balendra Shah, who is known for an impeccable track record when he worked as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City for three and a half years. The new government has unveiled a 100-point reform action plan with good governance as its primary agenda. And just within a month it has shown visible changes in service delivery by breaking the nefarious nexus of middlemen in all tiers of government. 

Nepali people’s aspirations for development and prosperity have been shattered mainly because of political instability and deep-rooted corruption. No wonder a large number of people are trapped in poverty and beset with issues of livelihood. Unless the state apparatus is cleansed of the corrupt clique, economic advancement and prosperity will remain a far cry. The business community has raised concern about Golchha’s arrest, saying it has dented private sector confidence and will hamper investment. Granted, but we all have to wait and accept the findings of the Central Bureau of Investigation. And corrupt individuals like Bhatta, Poudel and Deuja and the contractors in collusion, must be brought to justice to give a strong message that no one can bend and breach laws at their will for personal gains at the cost of the larger society.