The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against nine individuals including Bikal Paudel, the Executive Director of the Security Printing Centre.

Issuing a press statement, the anti-graft body said that a chargesheet has been filed against the accused individuals on Sunday at the Special Court as per sections 36 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002 and sections 18 and 35 of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority Act, 1991.

The CIAA, in the statement, said that an investigation carried out following a complaint of irregularities during the procurement of the Power System in the Security Printing Press and Pressurised Fuel Storage Tank revealed that the accused individuals prepared and approved inflated cost estimates; approved sub-standard electric transformer against the agreement and issued payment for a generator which was procured from a different country of origin than the one mentioned in the agreement.

Likewise, the antigraft body said that the accused individuals were involved in the graft stating that payments were issued in advance for structure operation and post-supply services without the completion of works as per the agreement.

The CIAA investigation also revealed that the accused individuals, for unjustified reasons, also procured the Bulk Fuel Tank System which was not needed and caused loss to the property of the Nepal government and misused government funds.

The CIAA has demanded over Rs 2.6 billion in fines and prison terms for the nine accused.

Along with Paudel, the CIAA has named Chief Divisional Engineer Nabin Kumar Pokharel, currently working for the Ministry of Forest; Ramesh Prasad Pokharel, assistant director at National Information Technology Centre in Singha Durbar, section officer at National Inclusion Commission Manikman Maharjan, section officer at District Coordination Committee, Kathmandu, Sirish Upadhyay, retired Accounts Officer Ram Bahadur Budha, Managing Director at Engineering Marketing Concern Pvt Ltd Rohit Man Pradhan, Bhuwan Maharjan, Director at Meptek Building Services Pvt Ltd and Mitra Lal Gurau, Managing Director and Consultant at Vastushilpa Associates.