Kathmandu, July 12: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Friday filed a corruption case against six individuals, including Sunil Paudel, former executive director of the National Information Technology Centre, over alleged irregularities in the procurement of “high-compute infrastructure” equipment.

According to the CIAA, the accused embezzled around Rs160 million during the 2019–20 fiscal year procurement process. The case, lodged at the Special Court, seeks the recovery of Rs158.85 million, along with prison sentences and fines.

The accused include former Centre officials—director Saphal Shrestha, assistant director Ramesh Pokharel, computer engineer Ramsharan Gayak, and accounts officer Nim Bahadur Oli—as well as Arun Shrestha, chairperson and managing director of World Distribution Nepal Pvt Ltd, the firm awarded the contract.

CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel stated that the officials colluded with the contractor during the tender process. A cost estimate of Rs310 million was prepared, and the contract was awarded to World Distribution Nepal for Rs306.56 million on January 29, 2020.

The commission found that the centre procured overpriced and substandard equipment, violating both technical specifications and contract terms.

Paudel, then executive director, has been identified as the primary offender. The CIAA has recommended additional punishment for abuse of authority.

He is currently serving a prison term in Dillibazar Jail after being convicted in earlier corruption cases. Paudel was arrested in 2023, and the CIAA has since filed several cases against him, most of which have ended in convictions. However, a case involving Nepal Telecom’s billing system is still under review.

Appointed as managing director of Nepal Telecom after leaving the IT Centre, Paudel was later suspended and removed following his arrest.

Investigations revealed his involvement in awarding inflated technology contracts at both institutions, resulting in significant financial losses to the state.

People’s News Monitoring Service