The CIAA decided to close the parka deal chapter effective from Thursday though the anti-graft body two weeks ago had concluded that there were irregularities in the deal. The Police headquarters had awarded the tender to the highest bidder Ananda Trade Concern (ATC) to supply 57,000 parka jackets to the Nepal Police.
While the CIAA had scrapped the tender citing grounds of irregularities, it had sought clarification from the police officers allegedly involved in the scam as to why departmental action couldn´t be taken against them. The officials had furnished their clarifications denying any embezzlement in the procurement deal.
“As the Police Headquarters has already scrapped the tender following our decision and instruction, we didn´t feel it necessary to recommend departmental action against the officers,” said Acting CIAA Chief Lalit Bahadur Limbu. Earlier, the anti-graft body had said that it could recommend the government to take departmental action against the officers. Limbu said that they also considered the ´sensitivity´ of the security body before reaching a conclusion.
Legally, there were only three options before the anti-graft body -- caution, draw attention or recommend government to take departmental action against the officers. The commission, however, opted for the softest action.
According to a source at the Nepal Police, the CIAA officers investigating into the scam had recommended the commissioners to take departmental action or to caution them the police officers. The commissioners, however, ignored both the options.
The Police Headquarters had issued a check of Rs 100 million for the deal on the pretext that the fiscal was coming to a close.
Those who got clean chit from the CIAA are IGP Thakuri, DIG Ramesh Bikram Shah, SSP Shyam Khadka, SP Manoj Neupane, DSP Ganesh Regmi, DSP Siddhi Bikram Shah, DSP Bajra Narayan Sharma, Inspector Sita Ram Chapagain and Inspector Shambhu Dhakal.
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