Lamjung Chief District Officer Suspended After Corruption Charges Filed by CIAA

Pokhara. Lamjung's Chief District Officer (CDO) Umesh Dhungana has been suspended. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case against him and 32 others at the Special Court, Kathmandu, in connection with a vehicle registration scandal.

Dhungana has been serving as the CDO at the Lamjung District Administration Office since Poush 17. The Commission claims he is implicated in irregularities in vehicle registration that occurred when he was the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Transport in Lumbini Province.

According to the Commission, the investigation was initiated following a complaint that three stolen Indian vehicles were registered through financial transactions at the Transport Management Office in Nepalgunj, Banke. During the investigation, the Commission confirmed that 'Breza' vehicles, illegally brought into Nepal by evading customs through collusion between public servants and non-public servants named as defendants, were entered into government records and legalized.

The Commission has demanded imprisonment and fines against Dhungana in accordance with Section 19(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059.