The national anti-graft body concluded that about Rs 290 million was embezzled while procuring and supplying the obsolete and sub-standard APCs. [break]
The commission has indicted three former police chiefs, two incumbent AIGs, three former AIGs, two incumbent DIGs, three former DIGs, six incumbent SSPs, one former SSP, seven incumbent SPs, three DSPs, one former DSP and three inspectors in the charge sheet.
The commission has also indicted Michael Rider, director of Assured Risks, the firm that supplied the APCs, and Shambhu Bharati, local agent of the company.
"A total of Rs 290 million was embezzled through misconduct of all the 36 accused in our charge sheet," said Ishowari Paudel, spokesperson of the CIAA, adding, "The Rs 290 million should be recovered cumulatively from all of them and fines of the same amount slapped."
Paudel clarified that as one individual is not liable to compensate the Rs 290 million, the total embezzled amount should be recovered cumulatively. "Accused individuals are also required to compensate extra based on the loan rate at the time the Special Court issues verdict in the case," reads the charge sheet.
Among the 36 accused, 24 are incumbent senior police officers. All accused officers are automatically suspended from their posts following filing of the case.
The CIAA did not produce any of the accused with its charge sheet, saying that they either defied its summons or are at large.
The commission has sought up to 13 years in jail for the former police chiefs and five AIGs while 10 years has been sought against the other 28 accused.
According to the commission, police officers involved in procuring the APCs, spares and other logistics failed to conduct a detail study of financial, reimbursement and investment aspects prior to the procurement.
RAJESH KC
"It has been proved that police officers involved failed to pay attention to the durability of the APCs and other logistics, to pay attention to the standard of APCs and other goods, to specify the basis for determining prices, calculated prices without defining specifications for the goods," states the charge sheet.
According to the charge sheet, they also failed to confirm the standards and efficiency of the PACs and other equipment and didn´t determine materials required for repair and maintenance after procurement.
The charge sheet says obsolete, sub-standard APCs and other logistics were supplied by Assured Risks due to lack of proper monitoring by police officers.
"Unreasonably high prices were paid for old, obsolete and sub-standard APCs and spares due to dishonesty of the police officers involved in formulating the plan and policies for the entire process of procuring and supplying APCs and spares," reads the charge sheet.
Rider, director of Assured Risks, supplied sub-standard and obsolete APCs thereby incurring a loss to the Police Welfare Fund, and was indicted as offender while the company´s local agent Bharati abetted Rider in doing so and has also been named a defendant in the case.
Those accused in the charge sheet are:
1. Om Bikram Rana - former IGP
2. Hem Bahadur Gurung - former IGP
3. Ramesh Chand Thakuri - former IGP
4. Madan Bahadur Khadka - AIG
5. Arjun Jung Shahi - AIG
6. Deepak Singh Thanden - former AIG
7. Shyam Singh Thapa - former AIG
8. Dipendra Bahadur Bista - former AIG
9. Ramesh Bikram Shah - DIG
10. Tapendra Dhoj Hamal - DIG
11. Deepak Kumar Shrestha - former DIG
12. Niraj Pun - former DIG
13. Surendra Bahadur Pal - former DIG
14. Rabi Pratap Rana - SSP
15. Khem Bahadur Khadka - SSP
16. Shiva Lamichhane - SSP
17. Narendra Kumar Khaling - former SSP
18. Dr Ajit Kumar Gurung - SSP
19. Ramesh Kumar Pandey - SSP
20. Manoj Neupane - SP
21. Niraj Bahadur Shahi - SP
22. Gupt Bahadur Shrestha - SP
23. Bijay Lal Kayastha - SSP
24. Dr Ram Krishna Rajbhandari-Acting SP
25. Krishna Prasad Guragain-- SP
26. Sanjay Singh Basnet - SP
27. Pitambar Adhikari - SP
28. Harihar Shrestha - ex-DSP
29. Bidhya Raj Shrestha-- DSP
30. Prakash Adhikari - DSP
31. Arjun Prasad Timilsina - Inspector
32. Dinesh KC - DSP
33. Lal Govinda Shrestha - Inspector
34. Giridhari Sharma-- Inspector
Contractors accused by CIAA
1. Michael Rider, director of Assured Risks Company
2. Shambhu Bharati, local agent of Assured Risks Company
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