KATHMANDU: The Special Court has ordered the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) to submit all documents related to the corruption case filed against senior Nepali Communist Party leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The order was issued in connection with alleged irregularities in the Patanjali Yogpeeth land transaction in Sanga, Kavre, where Nepal has been accused of facilitating unlawful land acquisition during his tenure as prime minister.
Following a hearing held on Tuesday, a bench comprising Judges Narayan Prasad Paudel and Dilliratna Shrestha directed the CIAA to present all files, complaints, and documents related to its decision to prosecute Nepal. The court has also sought a copy of the CIAA’s decision dated December 10, 2012.
As per the order, the CIAA must submit investigation files, complaints, lists of government witnesses, and defense witnesses through the Office of the Special Government Attorney. The court has further instructed that witnesses be presented before the bench for deposition, either in person or via video conference.
The Special Court stated that further proceedings in the Patanjali land irregularity case will move forward only after the required documents are received from the CIAA.
Earlier, the Special Court had ordered the release of former Prime Minister Nepal on a bail of Rs 3.5 million. In its bail order, the court noted that a key issue to be resolved in the final verdict would be whether the Cabinet decisions allowing Patanjali-affiliated companies to purchase land beyond the legal ceiling, and later sell or distribute it to other individuals, fall within the scope of policy decisions.
The court clarified that the determination of whether those Cabinet decisions constitute policy-level actions or criminal misconduct will be addressed during the final adjudication of the case.
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