KATHMANDU, June 26: Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada raised a serious issue during the question-and-answer session with the prime minister in Parliament on Tuesday. He claimed that an individual, impersonating the Director General (DG) of the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) Chakra Bahadur Budha, called traders on holidays using the number '9704541004'.

"The individual has been calling various department stores and other businessmen from the intermediary number saying ‘I have invested so much money to become a DG’ and asking them to repay this amount," he informed the prime minister. 

"Who is that intermediary who says he spent Rs 30 million to become a DG?” Khatiwada questioned.

Stating that the DRI is under the Prime Minister's Office, Khatiwada further said, "I would like to request that the DRI should not be developed as an organization that uses middlemen to harass businessmen."

The PM did not address the issue raised by Khatiwada in Parliament. However, it has been found that the information has already reached the Prime Minister's Office.

According to sources, various industrialists and businessmen had informed the Prime Minister's Office about an increase in phone calls demanding 'cooperation' in the name of DRI’s DG. Some media had already reported the news as well.

The office showed no interest in investigating and stopping such extortion activities. After the issue was raised in Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office sought an explanation to avoid inconvenience. However, it did not initiate an independent investigation.

Despite his involvement in controversial activities, DG Budha has not been removed from his post and has even been tasked with finding the truth in the extortion dispute implicating him and an associate.

Sources within the Prime Minister's Office indicate that efforts are being made to find the truth behind these monetary demands. The department has been instructed to monitor employees and eliminate the role of middlemen. Traders accuse the Prime Minister's Office of remaining silent and failing to take action against Budha, despite the financial mismanagement during his tenure.

Lately, there have been numerous reports of phone calls claiming impending investigations and penalties for revenue evasion targeting departmental stores, import companies, IT firms, and construction companies. The phone number disclosed by Khatiwada is linked to an individual named 'Upendra Shahi', who reportedly claims to be related to DG Budha.

Shahi, who is accused of orchestrating these extortion activities, has since disappeared, with incoming calls to his phone now blocked. Within government circles, there is speculation that Shahi has been running this extortion scheme with the help of high-level individuals.

Despite these allegations, there has been no arrest or investigation into Shahi's activities. The DRI has not filed a complaint with the police, nor has it provided information to facilitate Shahi's apprehension. Director General Budha, when questioned, dismissed Shahi as a mere acquaintance who occasionally visited the department.

The leadership of the DRI has been unstable due to frequent changes, which have hampered effective investigations and led to the rise of interest groups seeking to halt probes or engage in illegal extortion. The department has been criticized for operating under political influence, with frequent leadership changes rendering it inefficient. 

Since the Revenue Department was brought under the Prime Minister's Office, frequent changes in the Director General have hindered effective investigations, and the trend of replacing the Director General has not ceased. During the Oli government's tenure, the DRI was moved from the finance ministry to the Prime Minister's Office, and its misuse has been increasing.

The private sector has accused political leaders of exploiting the DRI for personal gain, leading to frequent transfers of Director Generals. Recent appointments have been short-lived, contributing to the department's instability and inefficiency.

Budha, who was recently appointed the DG, has been implicated in the controversy surrounding the extortion activities conducted in his name. His previous tenure as the DG of the Department of Customs was also marked by controversy due to declining customs revenue and increasing revenue leakage.

On May 5, Budha was appointed the DG of DRI after the then DG Nawaraj Dhungana was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 10 months. Budha was transferred from the Department of Tourism to the Prime Minister's Office before being assigned to the DRI.

Narayan Sapkota, who was the DG before Dhungana, worked in the department for only three months. The longest-serving director was Dirgha Raj Mainali, who led from May 2018 to March 2021. Subsequent directors served for much shorter periods, contributing to the department's instability.

During his brief tenure, Madan Dahal, appointed in November 2022, lasted only three months. Narayan Sapkota, sent to the department in January 2023, was transferred within four months.

Less than a year later, Joint Secretary Budha, with close ties to Maoist leaders, was appointed but became embroiled in controversy due to the extortion activities conducted in his name.

Budha also briefly served as the Director General of the Department of Customs in December 2022 but was removed in April 2023 as customs revenue fell and revenue leakage increased.

 
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