KATHMANDU, June 10: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against five individuals, including former Chairperson of the Nepal Bank Limited, Dr Chandra Bahadur Adhikari, accusing them of taking bribes to facilitate a loan.
According to the CIAA, Dr Adhikari took a Rs 1.9 million bribe to assist in processing a Rs 1.77 billion loan for a project under Bhusal Hospitality, based in Belahiya, Siddharthanagar Municipality-1, Rupandehi.
Investigators found that after Bhusal Hospitality submitted the required documents to Nepal Bank Limited, Chairman Bal Krishna Bhusal and his son Ankit Bhusal met Dr. Adhikari several times and communicated via social media. In Bhadra, 2081 BS (mid-August to mid--September 2024), Dr Adhikari allegedly received two checks—one for Rs 700,000 and another for Rs 1.2 million—through an intermediary, Khus Nasib Ansari, also known as Lucky.
CIAA files graft cases against two govt. employees
CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel said the commission filed the case against Dr. Adhikari, Khus Nasib Ansari, Amrit Bhusal, Ankit Bhusal, and Bal Krishna Bhusal, demanding recovery of the misappropriated amount.
In another case, the CIAA accused Dr. Adhikari of demanding a Rs 5 million bribe from the proprietor of Akala Devi Traders in Abu Khaireni, Tanahun, in return for facilitating a loan. The CIAA also filed a case against Narayan Prasad Baral, Dan Bahadur Karki, Sundar Bahadur Baniya, Santosh Subedi, and Lucky Khan alias Khus Nasib Ansari, seeking damages of Rs 5 million.
In a third case, the CIAA charged Dr Adhikari and Ramesh Acharya with accepting a Rs 500,000 bribe to facilitate a loan for Himal Terai Construction Pvt Ltd, located in Ward 32 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Separately, the CIAA filed a case against Ram Babu Mahto Koiri, a former engineer at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, for amassing illicit wealth. The commission investigated Koiri's public service tenure from May 1, 1989 to March 14, 2022.
The investigation found that Koiri legally earned Rs 33.77 million during that period but spent and invested Rs 79.67 million. The CIAA determined that he failed to account for Rs 45.89 million.
The CIAA also found that Koiri misused his public position to acquire property in the name of his wife, Malakumari Mahto, including land, shares, a house, and bank deposits. The CIAA has demanded legal action against both Koiri and his wife for possessing illicit assets.
