CIAA claimed Rs 2.53 billion from defendants of graft cases in 2019-20

KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 25

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed as many as 441 chargesheets against 1,212 persons, mostly public office holders, at the Special Court, claiming around Rs 2.53 billion in question from them in the fiscal 2019-20.

The anti-graft body said it was the biggest single-year filing of the corruption charges in its 30-year history. Of the 1,212 defendants, three includes ministers, nine special class officials, 355 officer-level employees, 440 assistant-level employees, 70 elected/nominated office-bearers and 335 accomplices/intermediaries.

However, the report has not identified the name of the defendants.

According to the annual report of the fiscal 2019-20 released by the CIAA yesterday, it received a total of 25,152 complaints related to corruption and financial irregularities in the last fiscal. Of the total complaints, as many as 8,558 were carried forward from the previous fiscal 2018-19.

“The CIAA received 16,594 new complaints in 2019-20 and carried forward 8,555 complaints from the previous fiscal, totalling 25,152,” the report reads. The anti-graft body settled 16,952 out of 25,152 complaints in 2019-20 and the success rate was 67.5 per cent.

The remaining 8,200 (32.5 per cent) complaints have been carried forward to the running fiscal 2020-21.

On sector-wise distribution of complaints registered at the CIAA in 2019-20, the highest 30.7 per cent were related to the federal affairs (including local levels). Following federal affairs, 16.36 were related to education sector, 8.29 per cent related to land administration, 4.21 per cent related to forests and environment, 4.07 per cent related to health and population, 3.65 related to home administration, 3.59 per cent related to physical infrastructure and transport, 2.66 per cent related to energy and water resources, 2.17 per cent related to finance, 7.63 per cent related to fake academic credentials, 6.37 per cent related to disproportionate assets and 10.94 per cent related to other agencies and sectors.

The findings of a study published by the CIAA earlier this year showed that corruption was rampant in the local levels where the office-bearers and employees rarely provide services without bribe money.

Province-wise, Province 2 has the highest number of complaints related to corruption.

As per the report, 23.87 per cent complaints are from this province followed by Bagmati (19.59 per cent), Lumbini Province (10.79 per cent), Province 1 (9.82 per cent), the Sudurpaschim Province (8.44 per cent), Karnali Province (5.82 per cent) and Gandaki province (5.35 per cent).

Likewise, it has decided to conduct a detailed investigation into 1,143 out of the settled ones, while the number of complaints put on pending with or without suggestions after preliminary investigations accounted for 10,173. As per the report, the CIAA had adopted preventive, promotional and punitive measures for corruption control in the country.

The anti-graft body also claimed to be successful in its sting operation against bribery.

It arrested 277 persons red-handed while receiving bribe from service-seekers in 181 operations and filed as many charge-sheets against them at the court. Those arrested with bribe included officials of special class, elected representatives, gazetted and non-gazetted officers and intermediaries.

Corruption was rampant in local levels where service seekers were rarely given services without bribe money

 

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