National
Jurisdiction Expansion: CIAA seeking firm commitment at political level
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is seeking a strong political commitment for expanding its jurisdiction as the anti-graft body looks to amend the Corruption Prevention Act-2002 in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.Prithvi Man Shrestha
The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is seeking a strong political commitment for expanding its jurisdiction as the anti-graft body looks to amend the Corruption Prevention Act-2002 in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
The CIAA’s jurisdiction was curtailed in the new constitution. With the Legislature-Parliament already endorsing the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which calls for bringing even the private sector and non-government sector under the purview of the anti-graft body, the CIAA is for expanding its jurisdiction so as to carry out investigation into corruption in the private and non-government sectors.
The anti-graft body, according to a CIAA commissioner, is seeking political backing at the highest level, including from the prime minister, on its proposal before it starts revising the Corruption Prevention Act.
The anti-graft body had recalled the draft of the bill it had forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Office in November to make further changes.
But the process has been stalled, said the commissioner, adding that the CIAA first wants the support from the political class. “We have been asking the prime minister and other senior political figures for their backing so that the CIAA can have expanded jurisdiction in line with our international commitment,” said the commissioner.
A team led by CIAA Commissioner Nabin Ghimire has been working on a new draft of the anti-corruption bill, according to CIAA officials. The CIAA officials who are not happy with the curtailment of the jurisdiction argue that the anti-graft body should be given more teeth.
But it’s once bitten twice shy for the political leadership following their experience after they installed Lokman Singh Karki at the CIAA in 2013. Political leaders started speaking against Karki and his deeds only recently, charging him with running “a parallel government”.
Karki was declared unfit for holding the post of chief of the CIAA on January 8 by the Supreme Court, thereby relieving him of his duties.
Senior CIAA officials said that discussions are underway about categorising banks, financial institutions and cooperatives as public entities and bring them under the CIAA’s jurisdiction.
Over two dozen domestic laws need to be amended to make Nepal’s anti-corruption act compatible with the UN Convention against Corruption. The CIAA in 2014 had submitted an amendment proposal to the Cabinet seeking changes in the laws such as CIAA Act-2002, Corruption Prevention Act-2002, Company Act-2006, Financial Procedure Act-2055 and Audit Act-1991.
After the promulgation of the new constitution in September 2015, the anti-graft body again forwarded the Bill on Amendment to Corruption Prevention Act-2002. But it was recalled in November last year.