Kathmandu, Kartik 17. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 97 individuals, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and former Minister Dr. Minendra Rijal.
The Commission alleges that in the year 2066 BS (2009/10 AD), a decision was pushed through the Council of Ministers to allow the exchange and subsequent sale of public government land located in Biratnagar—land that was held by 'Rijal Canning and Company Pvt. Ltd.' The Commission claims that this decision resulted in a significant financial loss to the government.
In the year 2032 BS (1975/76 AD), the company had acquired land in Sunsari and Morang districts—exceeding the legal ceiling—for the purpose of operating a fruit-processing industry. However, in 2048 BS (1991/92 AD), the government confiscated this land, citing that it had been used in violation of the stipulated conditions.
According to the Commission, the case has been filed against those involved in the decision to facilitate the exchange and sale of the government land in Morang—an action alleged to have been taken with malicious intent.
The Commission has sought a total claim of 734.9 million rupees (73 crore 49 lakh rupees) from the 97 defendants, covering both the principal amount (loss/value) and fines. The defendants include various government officials, such as former Secretaries, Joint Secretaries, and Under-Secretaries.
