The octogenarian leader received treatment at the Gleneagles Hospital, a 380-bed private tertiary acute care hospital in Singapore, from November 14-22, 2009. [break]
According to sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and a source at the Ministry of Finance, approximately 10 million rupees was directly transferred to the bank account of MN Swami, honorary consul general of Nepal to Singapore, on November 12, 2009.
Later, as the money was insufficient to cover all the expenses, the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok sent an additional US$ 55,000 (approx Rs 4,070,000) to Singapore.
But the embassy "has not dispatched" all the receipts of expenses to MoFA even months after Koirala´s return, leaving room for speculation about financial irregularities. The embassy coordinated the medical trip and was also asked to collect all the receipts and send them to MoFA.
"We are yet to get all the receipts of Koirala´s treatment expenses from the embassy," said knowledgeable sources at the ministry requesting anonymity. "We have got some receipts and are waiting for the remaining to arrive."
But Nepalese Ambassador to Thailand Naveen Prakash Jung Shah told myrepublica.com on Friday that the embassy has already sent all the receipts to the foreign ministry two months ago. Shah had also traveled to Singapore to oversee Koirala´s treatment.
When mentioned that the receipts have not arrived yet, he said, "Who do you believe if you do not believe what I am saying?" He, however, said he could not remember the exact amount incurred in Koirala´s treatment.
An informed source at the Ministry of Finance said that the ministry has been unofficially told that receipts of expenses amounting US $ 20,000 (approx Rs 1,460,000) are missing. "That is the reason why the ministry of foreign affairs has not yet approached the finance ministry for reimbursement," said the source.
A cabinet meeting had decided that all the expenses for Koirala´s treatment, including expenses incurred by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala, NC lawmaker Dr Shekhar Koirala, Mahendra Marasini, two Nepali doctors and a foreign ministry under-secretary, all of whom accompanied Koirala to Singapore, would be covered by the government.
Bangkok embassy has run of money due to delay in reimbursement of the expenses from the finance ministry. The embassy has not even been able to pay its staff, sources at the MoFA said.
"The money that was sent to Singapore was from the embassy budget till mid March. As the finance ministry has refused to reimburse the money until all the receipts are furnished, the staff at the embassy has not been given this month´s salary," said the source.
But ambassador Shah said, "I have got this month´s salary. Do you think that I drew salary only for me?"
Sources said that the MoFA recently allowed the embassy to use the revenue collected at the embassy to pay its staff.
Meanwhile, Constituent Assembly member Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani told myrepublica.com that the Public Accounts Committee of parliament has received details of expenses incurred by ministers during their foreign trips, except Sujata. "So the committee has written yet another letter asking her to furnish details."
kiran@myrepublica.com
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