KATHMANDU, Aug 5: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday filed a corruption case against three individuals including BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) Vice-chancellor Dr Raj Kumar Rauniyar on the charge of receiving bribe from a contractor. The other accused dragged to the court include Ramhari Rauniyar and Sushil Kumar Jha.
Dr Rauniyar was caught red-handed with a bribe amount of Rs 800,000 in his own chamber while taking the bribe amount from a building contractor. Rauniyar’s nephew Dr Ram Hari Rauniyar, who was also present while receiving the money to keep it safely, was also arrested from the bribe venue.
Although Rauniyar was arrested while receiving Rs 800,000 from contractor Sushil Kumar Jha, it was later revealed that Rauniyar had received Rs 12.8 million from contractors during his stay in office as the vice-chancellor. Jha’s company was awarded to construct a building on the BPKIHS premises.
CIAA raids BPKIHS
After evidences established VC Rauniyar had received Rs 12.8 million in bribes from service seekers during his stay in office as the vice-chancellor, the anti-graft body sought Rs 12.8 million from Rauniyar.
The CIAA has sought a lower fine from Ramhari as it was not established whether he worked as a middleman for VC Rauniyar. In its charge-sheet, the CIAA has claimed Rs 800,000 from Ramhari.
According to a statement issued by the CIAA, contractor Sushil Jha had admitted that he himself provided Rs 12 million to VC Rauniyar. The CIAA has sought Rs 12 million from the contractor for bribing a government official.
Jha, according to CIAA, had admitted his mistake of providing a huge amount of bribe to VC Rauniyar.
Nepal’s anti-corruption laws find both bribe-receiver and provider guilty of the crime. But bribe providers are rarely booked for their crime.
This time, however, the CIAA booked both the bribe taker and provider.
VC Rauniyar’s driver, Diwakar Karki, who was also arrested in course of investigation, has received a clean chit. The anti-graft body said his involvement was not established in the bribery case.
“Further, he [driver Karki] assisted the entire investigation process and the commission has waived 100 percent punishment,” states the press release issued by the CIAA.
