KATHMANDU: Former minister and Nepali Congress (NC) leader Mohan Bahadur Basnet, who is facing corruption charges, appeared at the Special Court today to give his statement.
According to the court administration, his statement is being recorded before a bench comprising Special Court members Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Bidur Koirala. A closed-door hearing is scheduled to be held later today once the statement is completed.
Basnet, currently a sitting MP from Sindhupalchowk, is facing charges of abuse of authority and financial misconduct amounting to Rs 3.21 billion.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed the case, accusing him of misusing his position during his tenure as Minister of Communications.
The CIAA has alleged that Basnet, bypassing the authority of the Council of Ministers, directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to operate the Traffic Monitoring and Fraud Control System (TERAMOX).
The equipment and systems for this project were supplied by a consultant, whose main tasks included design, development, software installation, and supply.
However, a payment of Rs 1.116 billion was made without the delivery of any actual work, according to the investigation.
The CIAA’s findings also indicate that, apart from the paid amount, an additional liability created under the agreement caused further financial loss to the NTA.
In total, 16 individuals have been charged in the Rs 3.25 billion TERAMOX corruption case.
Alongside Basnet, other accused include former NTA chairmen Digambar Jha and Purushottam Khanal, former law minister Dhanraj Gyawali, and board member Tika Prasad Upreti.
Also charged are NTA directors Bijay Kumar Ray, Surendra Lal Hada, and Dipesh Acharya; deputy directors Rewati Ram Pantha, Suresh Basnet, Hiranya Prasad Bastakoti, and Achyutananda Mishra; Sandeep Adhikari, consultant Jamal Anauti, and agents Dilip Kumar Gurung and Tej Prasad Kharel.
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