Corruption ails almost every sector in Nepal. It is believed to be one major factor discouraging investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, as well as service seekers. But following tremendous pressure from various sections of the society, government authorities have initiated investigations on some major corruption cases. The fake Bhutanese refugee scam, Lalita Niwas land grab, Tribhuvan University land encroachment, gold smuggling and cooperatives deposits embezzlement are cases that have been probed. Even high profile personalities such as a former Speaker, former ministers, top bureaucrats and powerful middlemen have been prosecuted.

Currently, the embezzlement of billions of rupees deposited by thousands of people at hundreds of cooperatives across the country remains a hotly-debated issue. Politicians, a former top police official, and key officials running dozens of cooperatives are being investigated. Police have issued red corner notices against those who are on the run after embezzling deposits from various cooperatives.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party chair and former home minister Rabi Lamichhane, among other suspects, has been in custody for the past two months over his alleged involvement in the embezzlement. But other politicians and individuals close to top political leaders have been spared, it is alleged, under political pressure. Just like Lamichhane, Nepali Congress Vice-President and lawmaker Dhan Raj Gurung, and federal parliament’s Public Accounts Committee chair Rishikesh Pokharel of the CPN-UML have been linked to the cases of embezzlement of funds from different cooperatives. Yet they were not being probed.

Thankfully, there has been a breakthrough. The Morang District Court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant against 25 suspects including Anjala Koirala, wife of PAC chair Pokharel, in connection with alleged financial irregularities in Uma-Gauri Agricultural Cooperative. Yet little seems to be happening in the case against Gurung. The Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police had in October recommended the police headquarter issue a red notice against Gurung’s former wife Jyoti, among others, on charges of embezzling cooperative deposits. Though Dhan Raj and Jyoti officially appear to have divorced, it seems the two were still jointly misusing funds even after the formal divorce. Also, the cross-party Parliamentary Special Probe Committee has suggested the authorities investigate the Congress leader’s involvement.

When it comes to past investigations in major corruption scandals, the results have been mixed. The investigation agencies have produced some laudable results in a few cases, while they were criticised in other scams for sparing politicians while punishing civil servants and other individuals. So people still doubt their role. Many people believe investigating agencies, under pressure from influential leaders, first spare the politicians and their kin or, even if they are arrested, the cases against them are watered down to help the suspects get clean chit.

Though cases were filed against high profile individuals in the fake refugee case, Lalita Niwas and gold smuggling scams, many of them have already been acquitted. People are thus rightly suspicious. To remove their doubts, first, the agencies should show the courage to work independently and stop waiting for signals from top politicians. Or the flawed justice process will backfire on the top politicians too.

If the public comes to see that only those without access to power centres get punished while those close to top politicians and other power centres are spared, their faith in the country’s legal process will erode. So will their trust in the political parties. Now that investigation has started against the spouse of an UML leader, there should now be no delay in probing the Congress leader too.