KATHMANDU: Nepal’s anti-corruption body has filed a case at the Special Court against four individuals for embezzling Rs 760,000 by faking the construction of a school building in Dolpa, a school that never existed.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday charged former Chief of the District Technical Office in Dunai, Dolpa, Rabi Chandra Pajiyaar, along with accountant Maniram Kurmi, and two locals, Nand Singh Budha and Sangita Budha. The case involves forging documents, creating a fake consumer committee, and siphoning off public funds in the name of a non-existent school.
According to the CIAA, the alleged corruption took place nearly 14 years ago during the fiscal year 2067/068 BS. The scam revolved around a fictitious ‘Durga Primary School’ in Wards 2 and 3 of then-Dunai VDC. Investigations revealed that no such school ever existed, nor was any building constructed under the claimed project.
Instead, only one functioning school, Shree Laligurans Basic School, existed in the area.
Documents show that despite no budget being allocated from the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, which oversaw post-conflict infrastructure development at the time, officials at the District Technical Office falsely claimed to have received funds to build a two-room school building for the fictitious Durga Primary School.
They went on to forge a consumer committee with Nand Singh Budha as chair and Sangita Budha as treasurer. Based on this forged committee, a bank account was opened, and false documents, including fake bills and construction reports, were prepared.
The Rs 760,000 was then disbursed via cheque, based on the fabricated claim that a zinc-roofed school building had been constructed.
After a detailed investigation that included site inspections, the CIAA concluded that the entire project was fraudulent, with no school and no construction having taken place. The agency has demanded punishment and recovery of the misused amount from all four defendants.
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