KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has indicated that its investigation into the visit-visa corruption scandal is probing the potential involvement of former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
The anti-graft body is examining whether senior officials under Lekhak colluded in unlawful transactions related to the extortion of Nepalis traveling abroad on visit visas.
According to the CIAA, investigators have observed an unnatural relationship between Tirtharaj Bhattarai, the former Joint Secretary and Chief of the Tribhuvan International Airport Immigration Office, and Badri Prasad Tiwari and Janak Bhatta, Lekhak’s private and personal secretaries, respectively. The Commission stated that this relationship may have facilitated illegal financial dealings in connection with the visit-visa racket.
The CIAA noted that the scope of the investigation extends beyond Bhattarai and his direct associates. Officials under scrutiny include the Home Secretary, directors of the Immigration Department, and other civil servants who may have been involved in “setting” travel clearances and manipulating visa approvals, possibly under the influence or direction of the Home Minister’s office.
“This setting appears to have been orchestrated deliberately, potentially involving high-level officials, including those from the Home Minister’s office, in transactions that bypassed legal and administrative procedures,” the CIAA said.
The probe follows corruption cases already filed against Bhattarai and six others for allegedly collecting bribes, as well as three individuals accused of money laundering in the same scandal. The CIAA’s ongoing work aims to determine whether Lekhak’s office played a role in enabling or overseeing these activities.
In its statement, the CIAA highlighted that the investigation is being conducted to ensure accountability at all levels, particularly focusing on senior officials who may have misused their authority to facilitate the extortion of citizens seeking travel abroad.
The scandal, which came to public attention after Bhattarai’s arrest in March, has raised questions about the involvement of top government officials and the oversight of the Home Ministry in airport immigration operations.
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