Corruption case filed against two former ministers

KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against seven individuals, including two former ministers Raj Kumar Gupta and Ranjita Shrestha Chaudhary.

According to the constitutional anti-graft body, it lodged a charge sheet against the seven with a claim amount of Rs 7.8 million on Wednesday.

“The charge sheet has been filed over bribery related to the Litchi Bagan land ownership deal in Pokhara,” said CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel. “The claim amount has been set based on the audio evidence.”

An audio recording had surfaced a few months ago, allegedly capturing a bribery exchange between then serving Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Gupta and former minister Shrestha to facilitate the transfer of government land in Pokhara into an individual’s name.

CIAA started an investigation into the deal based on the audio clip.