Politicians,officials under CIAA scanner

Kathmandu, January 31-The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on tuesday said it is looking into the sources of income of some 31 politician and high-ranking officials.

“We have been investigating 31 politicians and high ranking officials,” said Kumar Chundal, an investigative officer at the CIAA, adding, the anti-graft body would also decide within a couple of months whether to file corruption cases against 15 individuals. Chundal was briefing journalists while making public the facts of the annual CIAA report for the current fiscal year. The report was made public by the King yesterday by activating Article 127 of the Constitution at the time when parliament is not functioning.

Another CIAA officer, Chet Nath Ghimire, revealed some clues about the corruption case against former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala. He said the body was investigating Koirala’s relatives and former officials working with him. Ghimire, who is also Deputy Attorney General, claimed that the CIAA had filed a corruption case against Koirala’s former personal assistant Gokarna Paudel and probe into activities of another assistant of Koirala, Hari Sharma, was pending.