Supreme Court to Hear Appeal in Widebody Aircraft Purchase Corruption Case

Kathmandu. The hearing for the corruption case related to the Widebody aircraft purchase scandal has been scheduled at the Supreme Court. The hearing has been scheduled before the division bench of Supreme Court Justices Sharanga Subedi and Meghraj Pokharel.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed an appeal in the Supreme Court after the Special Court convicted only 10 out of 32 individuals in the Widebody aircraft purchase case. The CIAA registered an appeal in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Special Court which acquitted former Tourism Minister and Nepali Congress leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi and others, or awarded them lesser sentences.

While former Nepal Airlines Corporation Chairman and Tourism Secretary Shankar Adhikari, NAC General Manager Sugatratna Kansakar, and board members Buddhisagar Lamichhane and Shishir Dhungana were found guilty, former Tourism Minister Jeevan Kumar Shahi and others were acquitted.

The Special Court had delivered its verdict last year on the case filed by the CIAA, alleging corruption in the purchase of two widebody aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation. The CIAA approached the Supreme Court because, although some defendants were convicted in that verdict, some defendants including Jeevan Bahadur Shahi were acquitted, and the amount of compensation and punishment sought was not fully awarded.

The CIAA claimed that corruption amounting to NPR 1.47 billion, 10 million, 85 thousand, 4 hundred 82 rupees and 85 paisa occurred in the Widebody purchase. The Commission alleged that an overpayment of USD 6.788 million 60 cents (NPR 745.877 million 482 rupees) was made to the supplier with malicious intent.

Furthermore, the CIAA claims that although the agreement was for a 242-ton capacity aircraft, the price for 12 tons was not reduced when a 230-ton capacity aircraft was delivered, resulting in a loss of USD 6.6 million (NPR 725.208 million) paid at the rate for a 242-ton aircraft.

Although the Special Court convicted former General Manager Sugatratna Kansakar, former Secretary Shankar Prasad Adhikari, and others, the CIAA asserts that not everyone was sentenced as demanded, nor was action taken according to the claimed compensation amount.