Passport Department Director General Tirtharaj Aryal and Six Others Undergoing Trial for E-Passport Printing Irregularities

Kathmandu. The statement of the Director General of the Department of Passports, Tirtharaj Aryal, and seven others in the e-passport printing irregularity case is continuing for the second day in the Special Court. The statement of Aryal and 7 others, who were presented in court, has started in the bench of Special Court judges Narayan Prasad Poudel, Hemant Rawal, and Umesh Koirala.

On Monday, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had presented the Director General of the Department, Aryal, along with Director Sunil Kumar KC, former Accounts Officer Tulsi Prasad Acharya, former Section Officer Somesh Thapa, Computer Engineer Bipin Prasai, former Deputy Secretary (Law) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rajaram Dahal, and Nepal representative of German company Muhlbauer, Munindra Raj Malla, in court in the passport printing case. After the statement of the seven individuals presented in court is completed, a hearing on detention will take place.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a case on Monday, determining that more than 10 billion 13 crore rupees were embezzled in the e-passport printing case. The commission's conclusion is that government officials and representatives of foreign companies colluded in the two package tenders called by the department, causing billions in losses to the state.