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Kathmandu, Dec 12: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is investigating two former ministers over alleged corruption involving visit visas and project reports.

Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak is accused of running an illegal extortion racket targeting Nepalis traveling abroad on visit visas. The CIAA’s charge sheet, filed Thursday, cites a diary submitted by Tirtha Raj Bhattarai, Chief Officer at the Department of Immigration, and CDR data from Nepal Telecom showing suspicious communications between Lekhak’s private secretary Badri Prasad Tiwari and aide Janak Bhatta. The probe extends to the home secretary, immigration department officials, and other civil servants allegedly colluding to send individuals abroad in exchange for financial gain.

Meanwhile, the anti-graft body is investigating CPN-UML Standing Committee member and former Koshi Province Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai for allegedly embezzling millions through Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) prepared for projects that were not supposed to exist. The investigation links Makar Khadka, former Bhojpur District Committee chair and Rai’s secretariat member, whose family relative runs Finer Engineering Consultancy—the firm implicated in the complaint.

Rai has denied any involvement, stating he has no knowledge of the CIAA probe or the DPRs prepared during his tenure. Records from the Office of the Auditor General show that approximately Rs 32.09 million was spent on DPRs since FY 2017/18, much of it connected to Rai’s secretariat, prompting the complaint. Rai maintains the issue of theoretical arrears cited by the auditor has been resolved.

The investigation follows earlier revelations, including an October 3, 2024 press conference by Bhupendra Rai, then Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development in Koshi Province, highlighting large-scale DPR irregularities. The CIAA has also previously filed a case against former Chief Minister Bhim Acharya in connection with the Pokhara Regional International Airport corruption case.

CIAA monitoring two former ministers