“Former officials of Nepal Airlines were sentenced to prison and fines for corruption in the aircraft purchase process. The then Minister was acquitted of all charges.”
The Nepal Special Court has convicted Sugat Ratna Kansakar, the former Managing Director of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), and three others for corruption during the airline’s aircraft purchase process. According to Himalayan Times, Kansakar was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. Shankar Prasad Adhikari, former Chairman of the NAC Board and Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. Former NAC Board member Shishir Kumur Dhungana and former member of parliament Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane were also sentenced to prison.
In addition to the prison sentences, all the convicted individuals were fined a total of 122.59 million Nepalese Rupees (approximately 930,000 USD). The three representatives from the aircraft supplier company also received sentences of one year and six months in prison. However, the then Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Jeevan Bahadur Shahi and 26 other individuals were acquitted of all charges in the case.
Fighting Corruption and Public Procurement Scandals
Initially, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had accused 32 individuals, including Minister Shahi, of corruption in the purchase of wide-body aircraft. The CIAA sought to recover 1.47 billion Nepalese Rupees (10.8 million USD) in relation to the corruption. This case is a significant step in the fight against corruption in Nepal’s public procurement processes.
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