CIAA files corruption charges against former Minister Shahi and 31 others over wide-body aircraft procurement

KATHMANDU: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) took action on Thursday by filing charges against 32 individuals, including former Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, regarding corruption in the procurement of wide-body aircraft for the national carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).

The list of officials facing charges includes former General Manager of NAC Sugat Ratna Kansakar, the government secretary and Chairman of NAC Board of Directors Shankar Prasad Adhikari, former Director General of the Customs Department and NAC Board of Directors member Shishir Kumar Dhungana, Civil Aviation Ministry's Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, and others.

CIAA has initiated legal action seeking the recovery of Rs 1.471 billion for their alleged involvement in the irregularities surrounding the procurement of the wide-body aircraft.

Furthermore, individuals implicated in the case include members of the Board of Directors such as Teknath Acharya, Jiban Prakash Sitaula, Achyut Raj Pahadi, Nima Nuru Sherpa, and Muktiram Pandey, as stated by the CIAA.

The anti-graft body has also brought charges against representatives of the aircraft supplier companies and citizens from Germany, Romania, and Moldova.

Additionally, the chief of AAR International INC and four others have been named in the lawsuit, with the CIAA seeking compensation of Rs 1.471 billion, according to CIAA Spokesperson Narahari Ghimire.