Witness Charged with Perjury After Contradictory Testimony

Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a charge sheet against Deepak Thapa himself in the Special Court after he gave adverse testimony in court as a government witness in cases related to corruption and money laundering. 

Thapa, who was presented as a witness in the case of corruption by accepting and giving bribes and money laundering where the Government of Nepal was the plaintiff and Tirtha Raj Bhattarai et al. were the defendants, changed his statement in court. 

During the investigation, he was granted full exemption from punishment under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 BS for cooperating with the investigating officer and was made a government witness. However, Thapa, a permanent resident of Wards No. 3 of Fedikhola Rural Municipality in Syangja district and then Marketing Officer of DMC Travels Pvt. Ltd. Pokhara, filed a case against him after he gave contradictory testimony in the Special Court, Kathmandu. 

According to the Commission, it has been confirmed that Thapa gave testimony in court contrary to his statement made to the Commission during the investigation and the claims of the charge sheet. During the investigation, it was revealed that he used to make settings to send people abroad on visit visas, that the names were reported to the airport immigration shortly before the passengers departed abroad, and that hotel booking documents and dollar exchange work were done through his own company. 

The Commission has determined that he acted as an accomplice in giving bribes/gifts to the public servant defendant Tirtha Raj Bhattarai et al. by making malicious settings to send people abroad on visit visas. The main defendant was fined Rs 30.2 million, and the punishment was based on imprisonment and a fine equivalent to the amount, and confiscation/recovery of the amount. 

The Commission stated that a charge sheet has been filed in the Special Court, Kathmandu, demanding the same punishment for Thapa as for the main defendant, in accordance with the proviso of the same Act, due to his malicious intent shown by changing his statement in court.