Khadka moves court against his ouster

Published On: September 21, 2017 04:00 AM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

File Photo

KATHMANDU, Sep 21: Sacked Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Executive Director Gopal Khadka has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court demanding an interim order to scrap the cabinet decision to remove him.

Khadka has claimed in the writ petition that the decision of the cabinet meeting was guided by the decisions and reports of parliamentary committees based on 'false' news reports by Nagarik Daily, sister publication of Republica daily.

A cabinet meeting on Monday had decided to sack Khadka after parliamentary investigations found that he was involved in embezzling around Rs 1.5 billion while purchasing land for NOC for storage facilities in four districts. Khadka has further stated in his petition that with his defamation suit against Nagarik now sub judice, how can the parliamentary committees prepare their reports implicating him on the basis of the news reports published by the very newspaper.

Khadka has accused the parliament's Good Governance Committee, and Industry, Commerce, Supply and Consumer Rights Protection Committee of writing to supply ministry without going through the details of the land procurement decision. The parliament's Industry, Commerce, Supply and Consumer Rights Protection Committee had prepared its report on the land deal after visiting the districts and holding interactions with the locals. The commitee had spent over a month to investigate the issue.

Khadka has further claimed that the cabinet decision to sack him has not been notified to him and he has moved the court on the basis of media reports.

He has demanded his reinstatement stating that he was sacked without giving any chance to furnish clarifications over the allegations. He has also demanded that he should be allowed to serve his full term till January 2018.

Office of the Prime Minister and Council of the Ministers, Supply Ministry and Minister, Good Governance Committee of the Parliament and NOC board has been made defendants in the writ.