KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has taken the excise duty sticker printing irregularities case at the Security Printing Center to the Supreme Court.
The CIAA filed an appeal challenging the Special Court’s verdict that acquitted former Chief Secretary Dr. Baikuntha Aryal.
On Ashadh 9, 2081, the CIAA had filed a case at the Special Court against 12 individuals, including Aryal, who was then Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology and Chairperson of the Security Printing Development Committee. The case involved alleged irregularities in the procurement process for excise sticker printing.
The CIAA had sought imprisonment, recovery of Rs 386.7 million in losses, and an additional Rs 68.4 million already disbursed.
Although Aryal should have been suspended after the case was filed, the government created a special position for him and assigned him to the National Planning Commission.
On Kartik 13, 2081, the Special Court acquitted Aryal while holding only former Executive Director of the Security Printing Center, Bikal Poudel, and Director Safal Shrestha guilty. The bench comprised outgoing chairperson Tek Narayan Kunwar and members Khushiprasad Tharu and Ritendra Thapa.
In its appeal, the CIAA argued that Aryal’s role as Secretary and Chairperson of the Development Committee directly involved him in approving a procurement master plan that violated provisions of the Public Procurement Act (2063) and Public Procurement Regulations (2064).
The CIAA further alleged that Aryal personally approved the procurement plan and signed a performance agreement with then Executive Director Bikal Poudel, establishing what it described as a “malicious relationship” between the two.
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