Corruption Case Against Former National Information Technology Center Executive Director and Five Others Set for Hearing at Special Court

A hearing has been scheduled at the Special Court in the corruption case against six individuals, including the former Executive Director of the National Information Technology Center, Sunil Poudel. The hearing is set before a bench comprising Special Court judges Narayan Prasad Poudel and Bidur Koirala.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed the corruption case naming the former Executive Director of the IT Center and five others, along with World Distribution Nepal Pvt. Ltd., as defendants. The case was filed on allegations that they colluded in the procurement of 'High Computer Infrastructure' for the IT Center, supplied substandard materials, causing a loss of NPR 158.85 million to the state.

The CIAA had filed the corruption case against Poudel, along with former Director Safal Shrestha, Assistant Director Ramesh Pokhrel, Computer Engineer Ramsharan Gayak, Accounts Officer Nim Bahadur Wali, and Arun Shrestha, Chairman of World Distribution Nepal. Poudel and others are accused of corruption by installing processors with lower capacity than specified in the tender published by the center in the fiscal year 076/77.

They are accused of corruption by taking and giving payments amounting to NPR 158.8 million after supplying storage with substandard processors for the supply, delivery, installation, and operation of the infrastructure.

They had prepared a cost estimate of NPR 309.9 million for the procurement of high computer infrastructure and approved a tender worth NPR 306.5 million including VAT on Magh 15, 2076.

The CIAA alleges that Poudel and the other defendants, in collusion with the supplier company, deliberately allowed the supply of substandard materials contrary to the stipulated conditions and standards, and made payments based on fraudulent documents. Since Poudel held a public office, a demand for additional penalty has also been made against him.