KATHMANDU, Dec 16 : The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against Binesh Munankarmi, chief of the Pokhara Regional International Airport Project Implementation Unit, accusing him of amassing illicit wealth worth more than Rs 25 million.
The anti-graft body on Tuesday lodged a charge sheet at the Special Court in Kathmandu, alleging that Munankarmi abused his position to acquire disproportionate assets.
According to the CIAA, assets worth Rs 25.03 million held by Munankarmi have no identifiable source of income. The investigation covered the period from February 13, 1998 (Falgun 1, 2054 BS)—when he entered public service—to November 30, 2023 (Mangsir 14, 2080 BS).
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During this period, Munankarmi’s lawful income was found to be Rs 37.38 million, while his total expenditure and investments amounted to Rs 62.42 million, indicating a significant gap between income and spending.
The CIAA said his expenses—on land purchases, house construction, share investments, gold jewellery, education fees, and foreign currency exchange—were disproportionate to his declared income from salary, land sales, loans, share sales, and dividends.
Munankarmi’s wife, Purna Keshari Gosai, has also been named as a defendant in the case. The CIAA stated that assets illegally acquired by Munankarmi were kept in his wife’s name, and she has been included for the purpose of asset confiscation, according to CIAA Assistant Spokesperson Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari.
The charge sheet notes a clear mismatch between Munankarmi’s declared assets and his actual lifestyle, suggesting an unusually high standard of living.
The CIAA has sought confiscation of illicit assets, fines, and imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002.
