Corruption Allegations in Passport Procurement Lead to Charges Against 18 Individuals
June 22, Kathmandu – The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed charges against 18 individuals, including Passport Department Director General Teerth Raj Aryal, accusing them of corruption in the passport procurement contract. Those charged include Aryal’s staff, contractor companies, their foreign representatives, and two Nepali agents. The CIAA alleges that the corruption involved in the passport procurement amounts to NPR 1.013 billion.
This high-profile case also involved the names of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s wife and former Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Deuba Rana. However, the CIAA has decided to conduct a separate investigation into ‘the former Prime Minister and other employees’ without naming them explicitly in this case.
Alongside Director General Aryal, charges have been filed against Passport Department IT Director Sunil Kumar KC, Shatrudhwan Prasad Sharma Pokharel, Director Rabindra Rajbhandari, Accounts Officer Tulsi Prasad Acharya, Computer Engineer Bipin Prasai, Branch Officer Somesh Thapa, Law Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rajaram Dahal, Pushkar Raj Nepal, and Accounts Undersecretary Bhesh Prasad Bhurtel. A compensation of NPR 1.013 billion has been sought from them.
The contractor company Mulbair, which secured the passport printing contract, along with its two foreign representatives and Nepali agent Manindra Raj Mall, faces compensation claims of NPR 190 million. Another contractor, Veridos, its two foreign representatives, and Nepali agent Siddhartha Thapa are accused of corruption amounting to NPR 822 million.
The CIAA alleges collusion among the two companies and Passport Department officials to advance the contract process. Accusations include altering tender conditions, evaluating bids contrary to the approved terms and criteria, and making erroneous decisions through illegal technical and financial evaluations. The CIAA also claims that partial payments were made to these parties despite these irregularities.
Last week, Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s advisory group summoned all officials, including CIAA Chief Prem Kumar Rai, for interrogation and discussions regarding irregularities in the passport contract. Passport Department officials were also questioned at the Prime Minister’s Office during this process. Expressing frustration over the delayed investigation, the advisory group called out CIAA officials for failing to complete the inquiry in a timely manner. Following the meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, the CIAA intensified its investigation by arresting Passport Department Director General Teerth Raj Aryal and others involved.
