KATHMANDU, March 22: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case concerning the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA), naming 21 individuals and two companies as defendants.
The case filed at the Special Court, includes former Tourism Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari and former Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Directors Sanjib Gautam and Rajan Pokhrel among the accused.
The anti-graft body is seeking a total compensation of Rs 461.58 million for irregularities related to revenue exemptions during the airport’s construction.
According to the CIAA, the maximum cost of appointing consultants under the Airport Project Committee (APC) was Rs 339.4 million, intended to be paid through the loan agreement. However, the consultants were appointed using the CAAN’s internal budget, which should not have been used for this purpose. The total budgeted cost for the consultancy reached Rs 503.4 million, exceeding the permissible internal budget expenditure.
The CIAA further noted that the consultancy contract was executed for Rs 428.9 million despite knowing that it could not be disbursed from the CAAN’s internal budget. Payments totaling Rs 406.8 million have already been made, resulting in misuse, losses and irregularities of approximately Rs 8.95 million. Additionally, amounts paid exceeded the estimated cost in the contract by Rs 67.392 million, which should have been recoverable.
The defendants named in the case include:
CIAA challenges Special Court order in Rs 8.36bn PRIA corruptio...
Former Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Kedar Bahadur Adhikari
Former CAAN Directors Sanjib Gautam and Rajan Pokhrel
Former CAAN Deputy Director Mahendra Singh Rawal
Former CAAN Director Dhruv Das Bhochhibhoya
Former Project Director, National Pride Projects, Pradeep Adhikari
Former Project Director, National Pride Projects, Baburam Paudel
Former Project Manager, National Pride Projects, Chandmala Shrestha
Former Deputy Director, National Pride Projects, Prabin Neupane
Former Project Chief, Pokhara Regional International Airport Construction, Vinesh Munkarmi
Former Officer, National Pride Projects, Rajarama Chaudhary
Former Deputy Manager, National Pride Projects, Himjyoti Thapa
Former Senior Accounts Officer, National Pride Projects, Narendra Raj Sainju
Former Accounts Officer/Deputy Manager, National Pride Projects, Pramod Nepal
Former Senior Accounts Officer/Deputy Manager, National Pride Projects, Savin Phuyal
The CIAA had previously announced that an investigation into revenue exemptions and related irregularities at the Pokhara airport was underway and that further legal action would follow. This marks the second case filed concerning the airport’s construction.
