KATHMANDU, April 12: The Transparency International Nepal has urged the government and Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority to investigate alleged irregularities in the medical equipment procurement.

Raising question on the transparency of the entire medical procurement process, the anti-graft watchdog demanded action against all those including politicians in the embezzlement in course of procuring medical supplies.

"Media and civil society have revealed that the political leadership made a failed attempt to embezzle the state funds in collusion with the middlemen while procuring medical equipment, taking the advantage of this sensitive period of time in the wake of coronavirus outbreak," TI Nepal said in a statement on Sunday.

On April 1, the Ministry of Health and Population had scrapped a controversial procurement deal that it had signed with the Omni Group for supplying essential medical equipment needed for containing any spread of the COVID-19 in Nepal.

The organization also said that those who are raising voices against such mega scandals are now being portrayed as the anti-government forces. "We believe that the country turns into dictatorship when the people's voices are suppressed. The dictatorship poses threat to the good governance and fate of democracy," the TI Nepal added.

 
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• coronavirus