Corruption case filed against 21 including ex-secretary, three ex-directors in Pokhara airport scam

Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 21 persons, including the then Tourism Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, and two companies for their alleged involvement in the construction of Pokhara Regional Airport.

The anti-graft body filed a charge sheet at the Special Court on Sunday against the then secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) Adhikari, the then directors general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), Sanjeev Gautam, Rajan Pokharel and Pradip Adhikari, the contractor of China CAMC Engineering Company Limited and consultant ERMC A-Nutterlet JV for causing damage to public property. This is the second case of corruption in Pokhara airport.

Earlier, a case was filed naming them as defendants. The charge sheet filed by the commission on Sunday has accused the construction process of violating the rules, inflating the cost and raising questions on financial transparency.

Those involved in the case have been charged with misappropriation of public property, irregular judgment and involvement in corrupt practices. Two companies have also been named defendants in the case of irregularities in the construction process. Spokesperson for the Special Court, Krishna Sharan Lamichhane, said that the CIAA has claimed a recovery of around Rs 461 million 84 thousand 434.

Spokesperson Lamichhane said, “A 199-page case has been filed today on the charge sheet alleging irregularities and corruption in the appointment of consultants in the agreement reached between the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and China CIMC Company during the construction of Pokhara International Regional Airport.”

The case has been filed against 23 persons including defendant Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, who was the secretary at the then Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a Chinese company and other directors general and deputy director general. The excess claim is Rs 46,15,84,434 and the fine has also been claimed accordingly. The case has been filed under Section 3 (19) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059. ’

According to Lamichhane, a claim of Rs 89.5 million has been filed against the then Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Sanjeev Gautam. The case has been filed under Section 3 (19) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059.

According to Lamchhine, the charge sheet states that they committed irregularities by spending separate expenses from the government budget instead of paying the consultants from the same amount as per the contract agreement.

Pradeep Adhikari, Baburam Poudel and Vinesh Manokarmi were defendants in the case related to Pokhara Airport. A case is underway at the Special Court on the illegal assets case.