Ex-Ministers Gupta and Shrestha Charged in Bribery Scandal

Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a charge sheet at the Special Court against seven individuals, including two former ministers, on charges of corruption involving bribery and embezzlement.

On Wednesday, the CIAA filed a charge sheet at the Special Court, Kathmandu, against former Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Rajkumar Gupta, and former Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation, Ranjita Shrestha, along with five others for allegedly engaging in corruption involving bribery and taking kickbacks.

According to the investigation, former Minister Gupta had allegedly taken 5.3 million rupees from a real estate businessman to facilitate the transfer of the then head of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski, Ramchandra Adhikari. Gupta was also accused of arranging a 2.5 million rupee bribe for the appointment of a member to the Land Commission. This was based on an audio recording of the deal.

The charge sheet against Gupta claims an amount of 7.8 million rupees, while Shrestha faces the same charge of 7.8 million rupees. Ramchandra Adhikari, the then head of the Land Revenue Office in Kaski, is charged with 5.3 million rupees, and a real estate businessman/intermediary named Sujan Lama (also known as Sujankumar Tamang) faces a charge of 7.8 million rupees. Other individuals named in the charge sheet include Khem Pun (Khambahadur Pun) with 2.5 million rupees, Yam Kumari Gurung with 7.8 million rupees, and Tulsiram Budha Magar with 7.8 million rupees. The CIAA has filed the case with demands for criminal charges and penalties for these accused individuals.