CIAA Indicts Three ex- Ministers
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today recommended the government to recover millions of rupees that ex-ministers Kamal Thapa, Tanka Dhakal and Shrish SJB Rana had misused from the state treasury while suppressing the Jana Andolan II.The CIAA's recommendation comes after a study of the two-year-old Ramayajhi Commission report by the anti-graft body.The CIAA report, however, has kept mum on the involvement of chairman of the then cabinet former king Gyanendra and two vice-chairmen Dr Tulsi Giri and Kirtinidhi Bista in the misuse of state treasury.The CIAA said cabinet had decided on February 8, 2007, not to take any action against former king Gyanendra, Dr Giri and Bista.The CIAA also said the then government had formulated a policy and working regulation under Article 41 of the 1990 Constitution, which was beyond the jurisdication of the CIAA.The CIAA has told the Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet to recover Rs 9,718,020 from Kamal Thapa, Rs 708,500 from Tanka Dhakal and Rs 3,618,500 from Shrish SJB Rana."We found them guilty of misusing the state treasury," Lalit Bahadur Limbu, acting chief of CIAA told this daily. "The misuse was an instance of misconduct, and not corruption. We did not see any ground to prosecute them on corruption charges. We have recommended the government to recover the amount from them," Limbu added."They misused their authority by drawing and distributing the money in violation of the CIAA Act 1991," he added.

-Ananta Raj Luitel