KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Sumana Shrestha has demanded an investigation into the audio clip allegedly implicating Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Rajkumar Gupta in a bribery case.
Speaking at Sunday’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Shrestha called for a thorough inquiry into the audio clip, which surfaced two days ago and appears to feature Minister Gupta discussing bribes.
A former education minister, Shrestha questioned how the government could remain silent after such a serious allegation was made public. She also noted that the name of the Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation was repeatedly mentioned in the recording. “Who is the ‘baa’ referred to in the minister’s bribery case?” she asked.
Shrestha claimed that bribery extends from appointments of District Chairpersons of the Land Commission to transfers of officials in the Land Revenue Offices. “Why is the Land Bill being pushed through on a fast track? It’s all clear now—positions and laws are being tailored for personal gain,” she remarked.
She further alleged that one minister has bribed another in the course of these dealings and reiterated the demand for an impartial investigation.
In the audio clip, Minister Gupta is allegedly heard stating that Land Management Minister Balaram Adhikari has already taken the money and would not be doing any more work on the matter.
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