KATHMANDU: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case against three individuals including two former directors of the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection, Nepal (DCSCPN) for misappropriating gold samples collected for quality testing.

The anti-graft body filed the case at the Special Court against former directors Laxman Shrestha, Hari Narayan Belbase and Nayab Subba Ram Bahadur Thapa Magar.

The CIAA has accused the trio of embezzling the gold samples collected during the monitoring.

Director duo Shrestha and Belbase are still in the government service while Nayab Subba Thapa Magar has already retired.

Shrestha had on January 20, 2017 seized the gold ornaments from New Road-based Nose Pin House and on April 12, 2017, Dal Bahadur and Sun Chandi Pasal, The United Gold Mart P. Ltd., Pokhara, Gurkha and Baraha Jewelry P. Ltd., Phewa Santosh Sun Chandi Dokan and Arjun Pumdi Bhumdi Sun Chandi Pasal, Pokhara, according to the CIAA.

The seized gold ornaments, according to the CIAA, had been misappropriated without submitting them in the office.