KATHMANDU: Amid growing demands for his resignation over alleged involvement in a visit visa scam, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak held a press conference on Wednesday to defend his position, stating that complaints have been filed against previous home ministers as well, but none had resigned.
Citing data from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Lekhak said that over the past three fiscal years, complaints have been consistently lodged against public officials, including ministers. “The notion that a minister must immediately resign the moment a complaint is filed is not how the system works,” he argued.
Lekhak detailed that in FY 2078/79, out of 16,280 total complaints filed, 77 were related to the Home Ministry, and 3 led to court cases.
In FY 2079/80, 20,905 complaints were registered, 946 of which involved the Home Ministry, resulting in 5 cases being filed.
In FY 2080/81, 26,918 complaints were lodged, with 1,161 linked to the Home Ministry. So far, 6 cases have proceeded to court.
He noted that in total, the CIAA received 64,061 complaints over the three years, many related to various ministries or public officeholders. “Not all complaints mean guilt. Many are under investigation, and due process is ongoing,” he said.
Lekhak stressed that his intention was not to deflect responsibility but to highlight precedent. “Three respected leaders held this ministry in the past three fiscal years. During their tenures, six individuals from the Home Ministry faced CIAA charges. Were resignations demanded then? Did they resign? That’s for you to judge,” he stated.
The minister reiterated he harbors no bias or personal agenda, and welcomed investigations into any wrongdoing, including those involving his ministry.
Comment