KATHMANDU, March 27: In a first of its kind, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday filed a corruption case against its own former commissioner Raj Narayan Pathak on a charge of involvement in multi-million rupee bribery while he was at the anti-graft body.

Ex-commissioner Pathak had resigned from the position 40 days ago when the bribery charge came up. He was alleged to have received a hefty bribe from Lambodar Neupane, management board chief of the National Engineering College at Changunarayan, after promising to settle a long-running disputed over ownership of the college. The anti-graft body hauled in both the bribe taker and the bribe giver, for corrupt behavior.

Neupane, who fled the country before completion of his interrogation before the anti-graft body, has also been charge-sheeted in the bribery case.

Pathak stands accused of receiving Rs. 7.8 million from Neupane in return for a promise to support the latter in the college ownership row with other members of the management board. Neupane wanted to turn the not-for-profit college into a private one and register it at the Company Registrar's Office. He is suspected of wishing to manage it as his own in the long run.

In the charge sheet, the anti-graft body has demanded confiscation of the bribe money from Pathak and action against him under the Corruption Prevention Act-2002.

Other members of the college management board, who opposed the idea of privatization, had registered a complaint at the CIAA back in July last year. At the time Pathak used to oversee corruption cases at the CIAA related to education .

Shortly after the complaint was registered, he summoned Lambodar to discuss the matter. At the meeting Pathak demanded Rs. 3.8 million and promised to favor changing the college registration. Pathak later demanded an additional Rs 4 million, arguing that this was a dispute involving billions.

Pathak also threatened to take Neupane into custody if he did not cough up the additional amount. Neupane capitulated .

Pathak, however, didn't initiate any steps toward helping change the college into a private one. Asked about the delay, Pathak promised to settle the matter in person once he took charge as CIAA chief.

Frustrated over the delay, Lambodar complained to a group of brokers involved in meditations between Pathak and himself. Lambodar also demanded that Pathak return the money he was given.

But Pathak was reluctant to return any money and the disgruntled side recorded in audio and video some conversations between Pathak and Neupane to substantiate the commissioner's involvement in bribery. The audio and video tapes were provided to the CIAA and to journalists.

All audio and video clips related to conversations between Pathak and Neupane were also presented before the court as evidence.

Pathak was picked as commissioner of the anti-graft body in 2015 by the Constitutional Council headed at the time by then prime minister Sushil Koirala. Pathak, a retired deputy attorney general, was recommended as CIAA commissioner by Madhes-based parties as part of sharing of the spoils among major political parties.

 
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