Anti-Graft Body Arrests Three Officials, Including Customs Officer, Over Bribery Allegations

Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has taken three employees, including a Customs Officer, into custody on allegations of accepting bribes from service recipients.

Those arrested include Customs Officer Indra Neupane, working at the Foreign Postal Customs Branch, Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office under the Ministry of Finance, located in Dillibazar; Office Assistant Ganesh Prasad Poudasaini from the same office; and Nayab Subba Chhabi Prasad Rijal from the Goswara Postal Office, Parcel (Export) Branch under the Postal Service Department.

According to a press release issued by CIAA Spokesperson Suresh Neupane, a team deployed from CIAA's Tangal office arrested them on Sunday from the Goswara Postal Office, Dillibazar, based on information and complaints alleging that they demanded bribes from service recipients while sending various goods abroad via courier companies. 

Bribe money, cash of undisclosed origin, and 23 mobile sets were recovered from the arrested employees. The CIAA team recovered a total of NPR 146,420 from the drawer of Office Assistant Ganesh Prasad Poudasaini's office desk and from his possession. This amount includes NPR 10,000 as bribe money and the remaining NPR 136,420 as cash of undisclosed origin.

Similarly, a total of NPR 38,848 was recovered from Nayab Subba Chhabi Prasad Rijal, comprising NPR 20,000 as bribe money and NPR 18,848 of undisclosed origin.

The Commission stated that, including other cash of undisclosed origin recovered from their possession, a total of NPR 268,288 and 23 mobile sets from various individuals were seized. The CIAA has informed that further investigation is underway against all three individuals taken into custody.