KATHMANDU, August 25: The government has directed the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) not to send Senior Captain Subarna Awale, who faces a criminal charge, for overseas aircraft training.

Awale is currently undergoing trial for allegedly smuggling undeclared US currency from the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Republica on Wednesday published a news report about the NAC’s plan to send Awale to Singapore for Aircraft Simulator Training to renew his flying license. 

“We have directed the NAC in writing to immediately stop Captain Awale, who is under prosecution on a criminal charge, from flying to Singapore,” officiating secretary Suresh Acharya of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation told Republica. “Sending a pilot, who is under investigation on a grave charge, is against the law. So, it must be stopped.”

Acharya said if Awale is sent to Singapore against the direction , NAC Managing Director Sugat Ranta Kansakar will be punished.

Awale, who was scheduled to fly to Singapore at 11:30 pm Thursday, had already received 2,000 US$ as an allowance for the same purpose.

NAC management was criticized for taking the decision to spend millions of rupees on a person facing a criminal charge.  In a statement given to the police, Awale had confessed to his crime. In April, Awale, who was scheduled to fly an NAC aircraft to Dubai, was caught red-handed by Nepal Police with undeclared 

 
• pilot awale barred from overseas training