National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET) and its three top officials have been sanctioned by the United Nations for their involvement in proscribed practices, the UN body said.

The three officials of the NSET-Nepal on whom “debarment” sanction have been imposed are Amod Mani Dixit, executive director, Ramesh Guragain, deputy executive director, and Surya Sangache, senior technical adviser.

NSET and the persons in question “have been sanctioned by the chief procurement officer at the recommendation of the vendor review committee (VRC) because they were found to have engaged in proscribed practices in UNDP Procurement Actions on the grounds of collusion”, UNDP said.

“These adverse decisions were made through an exhaustive administrative process based on the findings of the Office of Audit and Investigations which allowed these entities and individuals to respond to the allegations made against them, pursuant to the UNDP Vendor Sanctions Policy,” the UN agency added.

NSET, founded on June 18, 1993, is a leading organisation working on earthquake risk management.

“Its seismic risk reduction activities are now being carried out in various parts of the world,” NSET says on its website.

The UN “debarment” sanction is applicable from November 7, 2016 to November 6, 2020, the target year set by NSET for “Earthquake Safe Communities in Nepal”.

“Imposing sanctions is one of the ways in which UNDP seeks to prevent and combat fraud and corruption in the pursuit of its mandate. UNDP shares these entries with the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations through the UN Ineligibility List,” the UN body said, adding: “The VRC may recommend any sanction that it considers appropriate under the specific circumstances of a case to the chief procurement officer. These include, but are not limited to, censure, conditions on future contracts and debarment.”

According to the UN policy, debarred vendors are ineligible to participate in any UNDP procurement action.

“This ineligibility may affect any entity or individual who directly or indirectly controls the debarred vendor, or any entity or individual that the debarred vendor controls or employs. Sanctioned vendors may apply to the VRC for rehabilitation after at least half of the sanctions period has passed,” the UN agency said.

NSET and its three officials are among the 21 entities and persons from different countries including Pakistan,  Somalia, Kenya, Russia and Switzerland sanctioned by the UNDP on various grounds .

The grounds include collusion, fraudulent practices, unethical practices, corrupt practices and collusive practices.