KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has released its annual report for the fiscal year 2024/25, highlighting its work in handling complaints, conducting investigations, prosecuting corruption cases, and initiating institutional reforms.
CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel reported that the Commission dealt with a total of 37,026 complaints during the year. This included 28,597 new complaints submitted through various channels and 8,429 cases carried over from the previous fiscal year.
Of the total complaints, 12,475 were linked to the federal government, 4,618 to provincial governments, and the majority—19,933—were related to local government bodies.
The highest number of complaints (10,245) were submitted via the Commission’s website, followed by written submissions (10,180), emails (8,488), and postal mail (5,555). Other sources—including telephone calls, Viber, Facebook, mobile apps, newspapers, the National Vigilance Center, and the Hello Government platform—contributed an additional 2,558 complaints.
The CIAA resolved 29,703 cases, or 80.22% of the total, through investigation and preliminary inquiry. Another 6,715 cases were referred to relevant authorities for further action, while 586 suggestions were provided for policy-level improvements. A total of 7,300 complaints remain pending and have been carried into the current fiscal year.
Throughout the year, the Commission held 81 meetings and made 1,411 decisions, including the filing of 137 cases at the Special Court. These cases named 753 individuals as defendants and sought financial compensation totaling Rs 5.97 billion.
Among the 137 cases, 37 involved bribery, 36 were related to illegal financial activities, 27 involved forged academic certificates, 23 were linked to damage or loss of public property, eight concerned unlawful accumulation of wealth, two involved money laundering, and four fell into miscellaneous categories.
In 22 sting operations, 33 people were caught red-handed, with Rs 5.51 million in bribe money recovered. The Special Court issued verdicts on 395 CIAA cases during the year, including 276 from previous years and 119 newly filed in 2024/25. Of the 119 recent cases, 67.23% ended in convictions.
Additionally, the CIAA filed 251 appeals to the Supreme Court following full-text verdicts from the Special Court, and five cases underwent review.
During the annual review event, CIAA leadership—including the Chief Commissioner, other commissioners, and the Secretary—highlighted ongoing institutional challenges and called for legal and policy reforms. They reiterated that the Commission’s direction, as laid out in its Fifth Strategic Plan, will focus on improving complaint handling, ensuring transparent and evidence-based investigations, and pursuing effective prosecutions to strengthen Nepal’s fight against corruption.
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