The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) moved to the Special Court for alleged involvement of the defendants in the embezzlement of Rs 430 million by selling of timber from 108 community forests in Dadeldhura district. [break]
According to Registrar at the Special Court Dheer Bahadur Chand, this is largest graft charged case registered at the court so far. The case has also largest amount and charge registered at the Special Court, said Chand.
Among the defendants, 11 people are government officials while 115 are members of community forests.
The CIAA has demanded 13 years jail sentence and confiscation of the corruption amount of forest officers Dhani Chand and Assistant forest officer Rajesh Kumar Shah while the anti-graft body has demanded 10 years jail sentence and confiscation of amount of other nine government officials.
Similarly, the CIAA has demanded 2 years jail term and confiscation of the corruption amount for the rest of the accused.
The CIAA has accused the defendants of illegally benefiting themselves and causeing a loss to the government by selling different kinds of woods from the community forests.
According to the CIAA, Chand and Shah had hidden a letter sent to the Dadeldhura Forest Office by the department of forest regarding not to cut down trees.
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