KATHMANDU, Feb 3: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Monday filed five separate charge sheets against Khagendra Prasad Rijal, the then chief district officer of Dolakha.
The anti-graft body has accused Rijal of taking bribes of Rs 652,600 from five different service seekers in different periods.
Ministry of Home Affairs had suspended him from the post for being involved in bribery in December first week. He was arrested by the CIAA team for further investigation three weeks later in December last week. Rijal was transferred to the home ministry from Dolakha after the media reported his involvement in bribe cases.
Suspend CDO Rijal, CIAA instructs govt
Rijal has been accused of collecting money from the service-seekers while settling a public offense case.
He has been accused of seeking bribe from Kumar Lama of Melung Rural Municipality-4 over a public offense case, promising to settle the case. Rijal has been accused of receiving bribes from four other service seekers too.
Before working as the CDO of Dolakha, Rijal had worked as the assistant spokesperson for the CIAA for some three years.
Corruption in Nepal's key constitutional bodies including the anti-graft bodies like CIAA is rampant, recent media reports show. Officials working there including commissioners are often accused of bribery and misconduct by abusing their authorities.
Earlier, CIAA commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak had resigned from his position after he was accused of being involved in a bribe case.
