KATHMANDU, Feb 7: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a fifth corruption case against suspended Nepal Telecom Managing Director Sunil Paudel. On Thursday, the CIAA accused Paudel of violating Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002, and demanded a restitution of Rs 30.85 million in a case filed at the Special Court. Previously, authorities had filed four other corruption cases against him, both jointly and separately.
The CIAA has accused him of accepting bribes directly into his bank account while serving as the Executive Director of the National Information Technology Center. The CIAA claims to have evidence supporting this allegation and has filed a case against him. It also alleges that he colluded with Deepak Anand, an Indian representative of F-Five Company, to manipulate bid rates during the procurement of supply equipment for a tender announced in the fiscal year 2017/18.
The CIAA filed a joint charge sheet against Deepak Anand, demanding the same restitution amount as Paudel. While holding both accountable for financial misconduct, the CIAA sought additional penalties for Paudel due to his role as a public official. The charge sheet outlines their collusion in the bidding process.
Former MD of Nepal Telecom Sunil Paudel and former Executive Di...
According to the charges, former Executive Director Paudel orchestrated the bid preparation and approved the proposal. The CIAA alleges that they fabricated quotations from three companies, instructed subordinates to draft specifications based on these false quotations, and approved the cost estimate before announcing the tender.
The CIAA charge sheet alleges that Paudel accepted a $280,000 bribe (equivalent to Rs 30.85 million) from the contractor company for a $676,000 contract. The CIAA claims he deposited the amount into a bank account in Singapore.
In a previous corruption case related to the National Payment Gateway, Paudel was sentenced to nine years in prison by the Special Court. He was also ordered to pay Rs 232.66 million in restitution and an equal amount in fines. The court, led by Special Court Chairperson Tek Narayan Kunwar and Judge Murari Babu Shrestha, found Paudel guilty of corruption on April 19.
The CIAA filed a separate corruption case against Paudel for unexplained sources of assets worth Rs 230 million. He is also implicated in another corruption case related to information technology and is currently in custody.
