Payment made following due legal process: IGP Thakuri

KATHMANDU, April 5: Chief of Nepal Police Ramesh Chand Thakuri on Monday deposed before the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in connection with APC scam and denied any ulterior motive behind the release of payment for substandard Armored Personnel Carriers.



Two investigation teams -- one led by lawmaker Pradeep Gyawali and another by Home Ministry officials - had concluded that around Rs 300 million was embezzled while procuring the APCs and other logistics for Nepali peacekeepers deployed in Darfur, Sudan.[break]



Recording his statement at the commission, Thakuri, who was present at the anti-graft body for nearly three hours, said that the situation back then was such that the payment could not be held back, thus, the amount was paid to the contractor. "He said the decisions for releasing the payment was made following due legal processes," a source with the CIAA informed Republica.



When the anti-graft body officials asked Thakuri why he released the money without studying the quality of the APCs and logistics meant for the peacekeepers, Thakuri reiterated same arguments he had used before the State Affairs Committee nearly three months ago in his defense.



According to the CIAA source, $ 700000 was released to Assured Risks, an international supplier, that had supplied obsolete APCs during Thakuri´s tenure. "In addition, $ 250000 and $ 450000 were paid to local agents," the source informed Republica.



CIAA officials had also inquired him about the involvement of former home ministers and secretaries in the scam. Thakuri, however, did not name any former home ministers and secretaries, the source said. "We will summon him again after we receive reply from the Assured Risks," the source added.



The CIAA two weeks ago had sent a letter to the London-based Assured Risks seeking clarifications.



Prepared by the national anti-graft body, the investigation report, which is near completion, states that those involved in releasing the payment to the APC supplier have been found guilty of ignoring the inspection aspect. CIAA sources claim that no follow-up was done on the APCs and other security-related logistics before sending the money to the supplier.



The commission has already interrogated more than three dozen police officers including two former police chiefs in connection with the procurement deal reached two years ago. The CIAA was asked to investigate the scam after the Parliament´s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed the government to investigate the scam seriously.

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