KATHMANDU, Oct 19: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday filed graft cases against 14 officials of the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) including former Additional Health Secretary Sangita Kaushal Mishra on charge of corruption.
Mishra was once proposed for the health minister under the interim government led by Sushila Karki. However, the government did not appoint Mishra after learning that she faced corruption charges. She served as chief of Koshi Hospital and Thapathali Maternity Hospital and as director general of the Department of Health Services (DoHS).
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The CIAA filed cases at the Special Court, Kathmandu against the accused on charge of misappropriation of Rs 140.06 million while procuring Mammography, imaging equipment via the Department of Health Service. The alleged officials along with Mishra were found involved in preparing a fake report and counterfeit invoice to pay to the supplier, not even by signing an official agreement with the contractor company.
The CIAA filed the case in a special court, seeking Rs 146.85 recovery amount in connection with irregularities related to the purchase of health equipment. Each defendant is demanded the aforementioned amount in recovery.
On the same charge, the CIAA also grilled Shravan Kumar Thapa, the then director of the Management Division; Surendra Kumar Chaurasiyaa, head of the Supply Management Division; and Bibek Kumar Lal, director of the DoHS. Former chief accountant Bhuwan Prasad Kafle, legal officer Sita Ghimire, senior public health officer Deepak Adhikari, section officer Yadav Prasad Sapkota, accounting officer Shambhu Prasad Dhakal, accountant Tilak Ram Dhakal, biomedical engineer Ashish Chauhan, former biomedical engineer Padma Mishra and public health inspector Sanjay Kumar Sah of the MoHP, and the Chief of Maxim Incorporation Traders Pvt Ltd Sundar Bhusal were among the others.
