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Kathmandu, December 6: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court regarding irregularities at the Pokhara Regional International Airport. On Sunday, the CIAA filed the case demanding a recovery of Rs. 451.83 billion, 71 million, 86 thousand, and 65 from 54 individuals, including four former ministers.

According to the CIAA, the Chinese company CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd. and its officials colluded with Nepalese officials to artificially inflate the approved cost estimate of USD 169.697 million. Based on the inflated estimate, they set the project cost at USD 215.965 million (or USD 244,040,450 including VAT) and signed a commercial contract agreement.

To implement the agreement, the Ministry of Finance officials—Section Officer Kamal Kumar Bhattarai, Under Secretary Lal Bahadur Khatri, Joint Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini, Secretary Suman Prasad Sharma, and Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat—allegedly decided to request a loan from the Exim Bank of China, sent the loan application, and proceeded with the airport construction contract, according to the CIAA.

The CIAA further alleges that, by maintaining costs higher than the approved estimates, USD 22,47,72,087.96 (equivalent to RMB 1,41,93,45,826.65, including VAT) was paid to CAMC Engineering between Shrawan 25, 2075 and Falgun 8, 2080.

Out of this amount, USD 7,43,43,450 was paid based on artificially increased cost estimates, the CIAA claims.

The CIAA has accused former Ministers of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation—Ram Kumar Shrestha, Bhim Prasad Acharya, and Deepak Chandra Amatya—of committing offenses during the construction process of the airport, and has demanded recovery and punishment.

Similarly, the CIAA has also filed a case against former Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, accusing him of wrongdoing.

Additionally, the case has been filed against several government officials, including former Tourism Ministry Secretaries Shushil Ghimire and Sureshman Shrestha, former Finance Secretary Suman Prasad Sharma, former Law Ministry Secretary Bhesraj Sharma, and in total 54 government officials, along with the Chinese company CAMC and its key officials Wang Bo (chief) and Liu Xiangcheng (regional manager), according to the press release.

The CIAA has demanded a total recovery of Rs. 8.36 billion, 73 million, 55 thousand, 297 and 50 paisa from the Chinese company and its officials, and the same amount individually from each of the Nepali defendants, along with their punishment.

People’s News Monitoring Service.