The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has taken two of its officials to custody for their alleged involvement in bribery.
CIAA said two officials working at its Pokhara-based regional office—Binod Amatya and Toyanath Sharma— are being investigated after they allegedly took Rs 200,000 from the chief of Parbat District Public Health Office, Narayan Ojha, promising him to “settle” a corruption complaint against him.
Ojha is accused of his involvement in the embezzlement of state fund during the purchase of medicines and other items for the health facility.
“These types of corrupt officials are threat to the very foundation of our society, and obstacle in our fight against corruption,” CIAA Chief Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki wrote on his Twitter account after Amatya and Sharma were detained.
The CIAA had carried out an internal investigation following the complaint concerning the involvement of its employees in bribery.
Chief Commissioner Karki has appealed to the public to report about irregularities seen anywhere, including the commission. “We will strictly look into it,” Karki said.
The involvement of CIAA officials in bribery is not a new phenomenon despite the leadership’s public commitment to fight against corruption. The Post had reported about the involvement of Krishna Prasad Sharma, a Nepal Police inspector (now DSP), in bribery while he was working in CIAA. The anti-graft body had transferred Sharma to the police headquarters after finding out that he had allegedly solicited bribe from the persons who were on the CIAA’s watchlist, promising to settle their cases.
Source: ekantipur
