KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a significant number of corruption-related cases against political officeholders, elected representatives and government employees over the past five years.
According to the Commission, a total of 166,520 complaints were registered during the period, of which 121,943 (73.23 percent) were settled, while 798 cases were filed in court.
The cases involve 4,662 defendants, with corruption claims amounting to Rs 31.52 billion.
CIAA stated that approximately 55 percent of the cases decided by the Special Court of Nepal have resulted in confirmation of charges.
Of the cases where charges were not proven, the Commission has filed appeals in the Supreme Court of Nepal in 719 cases. Among these, nine cases were decided in favour of CIAA’s claims.
CIAA Chief Commissioner Prem Kumar Rai and other officials assumed office on January 4, 2021.
CIAA spokesperson Suresh Neupane said complaints and case filings have increased in recent fiscal years compared to earlier periods.
As of mid-April in the current fiscal year, 28,416 complaints and 121 cases involving 429 defendants have been registered.
In 2020/21, 12,496 complaints were registered and 46 cases were filed. In 2021/22, 24,331 complaints were recorded, with 131 cases filed. In 2022/23, 28,065 complaints led to 161 cases, while in 2023/24, 36,186 complaints resulted in 201 cases.
In the current fiscal year, 37,026 complaints have been recorded so far, with 137 cases filed.
The conviction rate has shown fluctuations. It was 68 percent in 2020/21, dropped to 33.43 percent in 2022/23, increased to 65.67 percent in 2023/24, and stood at 52.67 percent in the current fiscal year so far.
CIAA attributed the decline in success rate in bribery-related cases to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated provisions related to sting operations under the CIAA regulations.
High-profile political and administrative figures among defendants
The Commission has also filed cases against several high-profile political leaders, ministers, and senior officials.
Among them is former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in a land swap case related to the Patanjali Yogpeeth project.
Other defendants include former ministers such as Jivan Bahadur Shahi in the wide-body aircraft procurement case, Mohan Bahadur Basnet in the Teramocs procurement case, and Rajkumar Gupta in a bribery-related land case.
Former minister Ranjita Shrestha has also been named in a corruption case.
In addition, former ministers, secretaries, provincial lawmakers, mayors, and senior bureaucrats have been charged in various cases.
Former Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal has already been tried in a separate case related to excise duty stickers.
Several former secretaries including Ram Kumar Shrestha, Shankar Prasad Adhikari, Sanjay Sharma, and Chhabiraj Pant have also been charged in cases ranging from asset accumulation to procurement irregularities.
CIAA said it continues to pursue both punitive and preventive measures against corruption, along with strengthening institutional capacity and promoting integrity in public administration.
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