Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Chief Commissioner Prem Kumar Rai said Prime Minister Balendra Shah had summoned CIAA officials to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to discuss the passport procurement case.
Rai made the remarks after lawmakers at the meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday questioned reports that CIAA officials were pressured at the prime minister’s secretariat in Singha Durbar to file a charge sheet against officials of the Department of Passport.
The CIAA chief insisted that the prime minister can summon CIAA officials for discussions and seek their views. “The question is whether the prime minister summoned us to discuss the passport issue. Officials can be summoned for discussions and to seek suggestions. We can also be summoned to discuss what has happened in the case and what we are doing,” Rai said.
Rai said the prime minister discussed the issue with CIAA officials.
“We went there and held discussions. He said it would be better to move the case forward and expedite it after reviewing it. We did that,” Rai said. “The case has already been registered and prosecution has been completed.”
He added that anyone could review whether the prosecution was appropriate and whether there were any shortcomings.
Rai said he did not want to go into the matter in greater detail and moved on to other questions.
Earlier in the meeting, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh objected to any pressure from the prime minister’s office, saying the CIAA is a constitutional body.
“Is the CIAA a constitutional body or a branch of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers? Please make it clear,” Singh had said.
Lawmakers warn against attempts to turn CIAA into govt branch
