Irregularities in Passport Printing Case: Officials and German Companies Charged

Kathmandu. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a charge sheet against Director General of the Department of Passports Tirtharaj Aryal and Directors Sunil Kumar KC and Somesh Thapa in the irregularities case in passport printing.

The CIAA has named 16 individuals involved in the decision-making process and two German companies, Veridos and Mulbauer, as defendants. The CIAA has not named former Foreign Minister Ranu Rana Deuba as a defendant.

Although initially stated to be a defendant, Rana is not on the list of defendants in the charge sheet filed in the Special Court. The contract for printing electronic passports was approved when Ranu Rana Deuba was the Foreign Minister. The CIAA investigated the German companies Veridos and Mulbauer on suspicion of colluding to take the contract for two packages.

The CIAA had posted a notice at Ranu Rana's Budhanilkantha residence on Asar 2, asking her to appear for a statement, as she is currently abroad. Rana informed the CIAA via email that she was abroad and could not appear. The CIAA has decided to conduct further investigation into Ranu.

A CIAA official said,