Sacked managing director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Gopal Bahadur Khadka on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court (SC) saying that the Cabinet’s decision to dismiss him was illegal and should be annulled.

Separate probes conducted by five parliamentary committees and the Ministry of Supplies had revealed Khadka’s involvement in irregularities while buying land in four districts to build oil storage facilities.

Subsequently, the Cabinet on Monday decided to sack him as proposed by Minister of Supplies Shiva Kumar Mandal. 

“Khadka registered a writ at the Supreme Court demanding annulment of the Cabinet decision terming the government’s move illegal,” said Narayan Prasad Panthi, spokesperson for the Supreme Court.  

The court has not fixed a hearing date as the Dashain festival holidays begin on Thursday when only habeas corpus hearings will be conducted. 

“A hearing on the writ filed by Khadka might take place on October 6 or 8,” said Panthi.

Last week, the Ministry of Supplies submitted a report of its investigation into NOC’s land deals to the Prime Minister’s Office recommending action against Khadka. Minister Mandal proposed that Khadka be removed for not cooperating and promoting groupism besides being involved in embezzlement.

Khadka is accused of misappropriating around Rs800 million while buying land plots worth Rs1.61 billion in four places: Bhairahawa, Chitwan, Sarlahi and Jhapa. 

A field study report of the parliamentary sub-committee under the parliamentary Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee concluded that NOC paid three to four times more than what the brokers had paid to the owners.

The panel’s report also showed that the NOC top brass, middlemen and local administrative chiefs had colluded to show that the prices paid were reasonable.

Meanwhile, Minister Mandal said at an interaction in the Capital on Wednesday that other people were also involved in the irregularities and the government would initiate action against them too. 

“There has been massive corruption in the land deal. There will be additional investigation into the case,” he said, adding that nobody involved in the scam would be let off without punishment.

Acharya to lead NOC in the interim

The government on Wednesday assigned Prem Prasad Acharya, under-secretary of the Ministry of Supplies, to take charge of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) until another arrangement could be made.

Mukunda Paudel, spokesperson for the ministry, said that Acharya had been named executive director of NOC.