KATHMANDU, June 9: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case against five people, including Chittaranjan Das, head of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) at Gandaki Provincial Office, Kaski, on charges of corruption.
The CIAA filed the case at the Special Court in Kathmandu after investigating an incident of collusion in dispatching more petroleum products than the actual quantity stated in invoices.
“It was found that more petroleum products were sent in collusion with Jagannath Dhungana and Laxman Ranabhat, representatives of the Gandaki-Dhaulagiri Petroleum Association responsible for dipping and sealing petroleum products, by turning off the CCTV cameras with malicious intent,” reads a CIAA’s press statement issued by Spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel on Sunday.
Although the NOC unit was supposed to dispatch 12,000 liters of diesel, 15,038 liters were sent. The incident came to light recently after the tanker carrying the diesel was seized in Pokhara Metropolitan City-27. The commission claims that Rs 448,525 was embezzled through dispatch of 3,038 liters of diesel in excess.
The CIAA has sought to recover damages worth Rs 448,525 from each of the NOC’s Provincial Chief Das, Dhungana and Ranabhat of the association, tanker operator Nirmala Thapa and Proprietor of Paschimanchal Traders Baburam Jamarkattel.