The establishment of the first of its type mechanism in the country, has invited controversies ever since the govt began process for it.

KATHMANDU, April 16: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case against government officials including Bikal Poudel, executive director of Security Printing Center (SPC), at the Special Court on charges of corruption.

According to a statement issued by the CIAA on Sunday, the anti-graft body has filed a charge sheet against nine government officials as per sections 36 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002 and sections 18 and 35 of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 1991. These government officials have been accused of embezzling funds in the course of the purchase of ‘Power System in Security Printing Press and Pressurized Fuel Storage Tank’.

Bhola Dahal, spokesperson for the CIAA, said Poudel was found preparing fake statements to inflate the costs of purchased electric transformers than the actual prices, while purchasing the substandard electrical equipment while taking forward the procurement process.

Similarly, Poudel has been accused of causing damage to the state coffers and misappropriation of government funds by paying more in advance for infrastructure operation and post-supply services without working as per the purchase agreement, and purchasing bulk fuel tank systems that are not needed and cannot be justified.

Among other SPC officials charged by the CIAA include Chief Divisional Engineer Nabin Kumar Pokharel, Deputy Director Ramesh Prasad Pokharel, section officers Manik Maharjan and Shirish Upadhyaya, and retired officer Ram Bahadur Budha. Likewise, the anti-graft body in its investigation also found involvement of Managing Director of Engineering Marketing Concern Pvt Ltd Rohit Man Pradhan, Director of Meptek Building Services Pvt Ltd Bhuwan Maharjan and Managing Director and Consultant at Vastushilpa Associates Mitralal Guraun.  

The CIAA has sought to recover a total of Rs 2.693 billion from the accused.

The establishment of a security printing press, the first of its type in the country, has invited controversies ever since the government began the process for it.

Earlier, the then Communications Minister Gokul Baskota was even dragged into a controversy over his involvement in the scam related to security printing. In February 2020, an audiotape leaked out, in which Baskota had demanded Rs 740 million in commissions from the agent of a Swiss company, KBA-Notasys, to give his side a contract to establish a security printing press in Nepal.

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had also questioned Baskota for his suspicious involvement in direct correspondence on behalf of the official agent.

The PAC had raised its concern over the frequent visits of Poudel, along with other high level government officials, to France and Germany when the procurement process was started. An agent of a Swiss company that was assigned to supply the equipment to the SPC had even blamed Nepali government officials for asking for a commission deal of Rs 2 billion on purchase of security printing machines.   

Citing the controversial matter, the Ministry of Finance in January refused to release funds meant for purchasing a securing printing press. The ministry backed off from its earlier decision to release Rs 4.5 billion. 

 
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