Over 250 Complaints Filed Against High-Ranking Officials in Asset Investigation Commission

Kathmandu. More than 250 complaints have been filed against high-ranking government and public officials in the Asset Investigation Commission within a period of two weeks. The commission has stated that these complaints, received in sealed envelopes, will be opened and studied within a few weeks.

Since the formation of the Asset Investigation Commission, around one thousand government employees have been coming daily to submit their asset details. According to Ganesh KC, spokesperson for the commission, the number of people coming to submit asset details is higher in the morning.

‘Some individuals are also coming with complaints,’ said spokesperson KC to Ratopati, ‘As all of them are sealed, it is not possible to say who has filed complaints against whom.’ Complaints regarding the assets of suspicious individuals have been submitted to the commission both in person at the office and via email. The commission is bringing approximately 50,000 employees, officials, and those appointed to government positions through political affiliations, former prime ministers, ministers, former members of parliament, among others, into the scope of investigation.

‘For those under the scope of asset investigation who are abroad, arrangements have been made to submit their asset details within two weeks of returning to the country by informing the commission via email,’ said spokesperson KC, ‘The commission has provided this facility because it takes time to collect one’s asset details even after arriving in Nepal.’

The commission is investigating assets from the fiscal year 2062/63 BS to the end of Chaitra 2082 BS in the first phase. According to spokesperson KC, not only from 2062/63 BS, but if someone entered government service in 2058 BS and is still working, they will have to submit asset details from 2058 BS onwards. The commission has set a deadline of Jestha 30 for all employees and officials to submit their asset details. When asked what will happen after the deadline of Jestha 30, spokesperson KC said that it can only be said when that time comes.

Former Ministers to Former Chief Justices Among Those Coming to Collect Asset Detail Forms

Commission spokesperson KC stated that those coming to collect asset detail forms include former members of parliament, former ministers, and former chief justices. ‘Some time ago, former Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut himself came and took the asset detail form,’ said spokesperson KC, ‘The scope of the Asset Investigation Commission will investigate the assets of former military personnel, former judges, former employees, and former officials.’

It is reported that there are 52 retired judges of the Supreme Court or higher (up to Chief Justice) in the judiciary under the commission’s investigation. Similarly, there are 48 chief judges of high, appellate, and regional courts, and 173 retired judges of high, appellate, and regional courts.

As the Asset Investigation Commission prepares to investigate former judges of the Supreme Court, High Court, and District Court, former judges appear to be in a state of confusion about whether to submit their asset details or not.

A former judge, speaking on condition of anonymity to Ratopati, said that after the commission included former judges in its investigation scope, a state of confusion arose, and they are preparing to discuss whether not to submit asset details.

It is reported that there are 52 retired judges of the Supreme Court or higher (up to Chief Justice) in the judiciary under the commission’s investigation. Similarly, there are 48 chief judges of high, appellate, and regional courts, and 173 retired judges of high, appellate, and regional courts.

After completing the investigation of assets of officials from the fiscal year 2062/63 BS to the end of Chaitra 2082 BS, the commission will issue another notice for investigation from 2048 BS onwards in the second phase, the commission has stated.

After the formation of the commission, a public notice was published in Gorkhapatra on Baishakh 31, calling on officials within the scope of investigation to submit asset details of themselves and their families within one month. Along with submitting the asset detail forms, the commission also issued another notice calling for any complaints related to officials within the scope of investigation.

Who are the High-Ranking Officials Retired After 2062/063 BS?

The number of high-ranking officials retired after 2062/063 BS appears to be in the thousands. According to the Pension Management Office under the Office of the Controller General of Accounts, there are currently 365 retired secretaries of the special category receiving pensions.

One retired additional secretary, 15 chief secretaries, and 1,771 joint secretaries are receiving pensions. Fifteen individuals who reached the position of chief of a constitutional body and seven individuals including the Secretary-General and Secretary of the Parliament Secretariat are receiving pensions.

In the security sector, there are 86 retired Senior Superintendents of Police, 48 Deputy Inspectors General of Police, 19 Additional Inspectors General of Police, and eight Inspectors General from the Armed Police Force. Similarly, in the Nepal Police, there are 152 Senior Superintendents of Police, 118 Deputy Inspectors General of Police, 102 Additional Inspectors General of Police, and 15 Inspectors General.

These are the Ones Under the Radar of Asset Investigation

Under the scope of the Asset Investigation Commission are Prime Ministers, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, State Ministers, and Assistant Ministers of the Royal Government of Nepal and the Government of Nepal, former members of parliament, members of the Constituent Assembly functioning as the legislature in 2047, 2063, and under the current constitution, chiefs and officials removed or retired from constitutional bodies, former judges, and retired gazetted first-class officers (equivalent to Joint Secretary) or above in the Nepali Army.

Similarly, Province Chiefs, Chief Ministers, Ministers, State Ministers, and Assistant Ministers of Provincial Governments, members and officials of Provincial Assemblies, the Attorney General and Chief Attorney, officials of the former District Development Committee and the current District Coordination Committee, chiefs and deputy chiefs, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of local levels, heads of Nepali embassies and diplomatic missions, and employees also fall within this scope.

The assets of employees in the gazetted first-class (Joint Secretary) or equivalent and above positions in the civil service, parliament service, health service, or national human rights service, Nepal Police, Armed Police, and the National Investigation Department will also be investigated.

Under the purview of asset investigation are also chairpersons, directors, executive directors, general managers, managing directors, chief executive officers, and gazetted first-class or equivalent and above employees of government banks and financial institutions, commissions, institutions, authorities, boards, committees, centers, etc., established under prevailing laws.

This scope also includes employees in the gazetted second-class (Deputy Secretary) or equivalent positions who are or have been office chiefs in the civil service, parliament service, health service, or national human rights service; employees in the gazetted second-class or equivalent positions in the Nepal Police, Armed Police, and National Investigation Department who are or have been office chiefs; the Governor, board members, Deputy Governors, executive directors, and gazetted first-class or equivalent and above employees of the Nepal Rastra Bank.

The assets of chairpersons, directors, executive directors, general managers, managing directors, chief executive officers, and gazetted first-class or equivalent and above employees of government banks and financial institutions, commissions, institutions, authorities, boards, committees, centers, etc., established under prevailing laws are also under the purview of asset investigation.

Furthermore, the assets of chairpersons, directors, executive directors, general managers, managing directors, chief executive officers, and gazetted first-class or equivalent and above employees of public enterprises fully or partially owned by the Government of Nepal, and officials and gazetted first-class or equivalent and above employees of universities, institutions, and other bodies receiving grants from the Government of Nepal will also be investigated.

The commission will also examine the assets of advisors, private secretaries, personal secretaries, or similar officials appointed or who have worked in positions such as President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Speaker, Chairperson of the National Assembly, Government of Nepal Ministers or Provincial Government Chief Ministers, Ministers, State Ministers, Assistant Ministers, or chiefs and members of constitutional bodies, or similar positions, whether they receive remuneration or facilities from the Government of Nepal or Provincial Government or not.