KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today arrested Nepal Electricity Authority director and nine other officials suspecting their involvement in purchasing sub-standard transfomers.

The detained included two former officers of the sole electricity provider in the nation. CIAA spokesperson Shreedhar Sapkota said that the arrests were made on the basis of their involvement in recommending, inspecting, approving and releasing payments to purchase sub-standard transformers.

NEA director Arjun Kumar Chauhan; Mahesh Kumar Karki, NEA deputy director; Hari Bahadur Gasi, manager; Nimesh Kumar Pokhrel, assistant manager ; Binod Kumar Swornakar, electrical engineer; Manoj Baral, deputy manager ; Ram Bijul Mandal, assistant electrical engineer; Suraj Prasad Shah, engineer and Shashi Bikram Thapa, former assistant director were taken into the custody by the watchdog.

Along with the officials, CIAA has also brought two foriegn companies — one Chinese and another Thai– under its scanner. The name of these companies have been not released yet citing ongoing investigations.

KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday arrested top officials of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) including Managing Director Rameshwor Yadav on the charge of indulging in corruption by purchasing sub-standards electricity transformers.

Spokesperson of the CIAA Shreedhar Sapkota confirmed that the officials were arrested based on complaints for their involvement in procuring sub-standard transformers on different dates.

Other arrestees are Chief at Planning Department Krishna Bahadur Thapa, Engineer Pramod Rijal, former General Manager Chiranjibi Sharma Poudel, retired Executive Director Dr Jibendra Jha, retired Deputy Executive Director Tikaram BC and Accounts Assistant-Director Krishna Bahadur KC.

Likewise, Director Dev Sharma Poudel, Accounts Officer at Customers Service Center Sushil Prasad Khanal and former coordinator of the Development Project Mahesh Prasad Acharya were also arrested by the CIAA on Tuesday.

All the arrestees have been kept in CIAA’s custody and investigations have been initiated, it is said.

Earlier, 11 top officials of the NEA including manager Sindhu Yadav were arrested on the same charge.

A special team of the CIAA had arrested Paudel from his station red handed. Though the CIAA confirmed that arrest, did not elaborate on whether the sting operation was planned or not.

Paudel is due to appear in the court on Sunday, the anti-graft body confirmed.

The locals organized a rally early today demanding actions to the corrupt officials. Vehicles have remained off the road while markets have closed in the Dhangadi area.

The municipality officials have been charged of redtapism and seeking bribery while carrying out any sort of development projects in the municipality.

Recently, the same practice was repeated in road black-topping in the market area, locals said.

KATHMANDU: Senior Superintendent of Nepal Police Rabi Raj Shrestha has been sacked from the Nepal Police job for his connection to foreign currencies trafficking via Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). Shrestha was suspended for five month.

According to Ministry of Home Affairs, Shrestha was sacked from the minister-level decision as Shrestha’s written response was not satisfactory to the gravity of the case.

As per the decision, Shrestha would be regarded as an illegible candidate for government job now onwards.
Earlier investigations had proved Shrestha’s involvement in smuggling foreign currencies through TIA and gold as well.

KATHMANDU: Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta who was jailed for corruption convict was released today, serving nearly 13 months in jail. Gupta had enjoyed many ministerial berths after the restoration of democracy till last year.

The then chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Republican) Gupta was also Minister for Information and Communications before going to the jail last year.

A large number of party cadres and well-wishers of Gupta welcomed him upon his release from the jail. The cadres greeted him as a Sarbamanya (an all-accepted) leader of Madhes.

Last year, Nepal’s Supreme Court (SC) had slapped Rs 8.4 million in fine but the amount was reduced by 20 percent after the corrupt convict leader surrendered before the SC within due time.

Addressing the cadres, Gupta said he taught the Madhesi leaders to speak the agendas of the Madhes but alleged them of speaking the language of power.

Gupta also said that the 11-point agreement also signed by Madeshi Morcha’s coordinator Bijay Kumar Gachhadar was tantamount to suicide note to the Madesh and Madhesis.

The emotional leader also said that he was even ready to jump into the fire for the cause of state’s transformation and federalism.