KATHMANDU: Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobita Gautam has said that the government is committed to controlling corruption and good governance, fully respecting the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA)’s independent, impartial, and constitutional role.
Addressing the House of Representatives, State Affairs and Good Governance Committee meeting today during the ‘discussion with officials regarding the activities of the CIAA, Minister Gautam mentioned that the government would provide necessary support for the investigation and prosecution of corruption-related matters.
“Corruption control shouldn’t be limited to just taking action; the government wants to move forward in a way that removes systemic weaknesses. We need to clearly distinguish between corruption-driven ill intentions and regular administrative mistakes,” she said.
Minister Gautam said that the government is ready to move forward by linking the commission’s facts and the experiences and suggestions obtained from the investigation with good governance.
Minister Gautam said that the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority should not be misused as a tool for political revenge, personal grudges, or to intimidate employees. She emphasized the need to set clear standards for investigation and prosecution.
Emphasizing that research itself should not become a punishment, Minister Gautam said it would be appropriate to set a time limit for investigations related to corruption.
“There should be clarity on who will be investigated and whether they are prosecutable after the investigation,” Minister Gautam said, adding, “There should be clear criteria on whom to send for preliminary testing, which cases to conduct detailed investigations on or not, which cases to postpone, and which to go for prosecution.”
Emphasizing that research itself should not become a punishment, she said it would be appropriate to set a time limit for investigations related to corruption.
“Keeping someone under investigation for years in itself can act as an indirect punishment, the investigation should be time-bound,” she said.
Minister Gautam suggested to prosecute only after providing evidence and to pay attention to the confidentiality of the investigation. (RSS)
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