BUTAWAL, Feb 25: While hinting that several other ministers including Prime Minister KP Oli himself could be involved in the bargaining over Rs 70 million kickback with the agent of a Swiss supplier of security press, the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba has demanded impartial investigation into the case. 

Addressing a condolence function organized on the demise of NC leader Durga Prasad Upadhyaya in Lumbini, Deuba said that one single individual could not have been involved in such a huge bribery, others also must have been involved.

Communications minister Gokul Baskota resigned last week after the leakage of an audiotape in which he is heard bargaining for commission with a local agent of a Swiss supplier of security press.

“Baskota did not do this alone. Who others are behind the scam. This must be investigated. NC will not remain silent until there is a fair investigation into the scam,” Deuba declared.

Deuba said one after another big corruption scandals involving government ministers and officials are being exposed despite the prime minister himself announcing that he would maintain zero tolerance against corruption. “It is not possible to gauge the volume of corruption committed by this government. Now they are working to make policy decisions to protect the corrupt,” he said.

Addressing the same function, Nepali Congress chief whip Bal Krishna Khand said that the government has been committing irregularities by misusing its two-thirds strength in parliament. Of the total Rs 14 billion budget, the former government spokesperson Baskota had spent over Rs 2 billion in the name of satellite and 4G upgrade at Nepal Telecom, apparently to bag huge commissions, Khand alleged.

 
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