Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against seven individuals at the Special Court after uncovering financial irregularities in a snake farm operated by the Jhalanath Khanal Academy of Health Sciences.
Bijaya Kumar Yadav, the former economic affairs officer of Madhesh Province, is among the defendants.
CIAA’s investigation has revealed that Yadav colluded with Man Bahadur Khadka, the Mayor of Lalbandi Municipality, where the academy is located, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the academy and released Rs 179.83 million without proper authorization.
The anti-graft body is seeking the recovery of Rs 179.83 million from the defendants. It has also requested additional punishment for former Minister Yadav under Article 24 of the Corruption Control Act, 2002.
Mayor Rebati Prasad Pant, the former chief of the foundation, General Secretary Nabaraj Bhandari, Treasurer Niraj Bhandari, Member Devendra Rai, and the former secretary of the economic affairs minister of Madhesh Province, Prem Kumar Shrestha, have all been named as defendants in the case.
Shrestha has been accused of falsifying documentation about the academy at the National Planning Commission to fraudulently obtain a grant from the federal government. Based on this documentation, the federal government released Rs 32.7 million, which was also provided to the academy. CIAA is seeking the recovery of Rs 32.7 million from Shrestha and is pursuing punishment under the Corruption Control Act, 2002.
CIAA has also requested a court order to recover 8.9 bigha of land in Lalbandi-1 and a motor vehicle owned by the academy.
