Kathmandu, May 11: Nepal’s electronic bidding system has come under scrutiny after investigators uncovered alleged manipulation affecting 313 public contracts, prompting criminal charges and a court filing in Kathmandu.
According to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police, confidential evaluation documents submitted through the e-Government Procurement (e-GP) platform were tampered with, leading to unlawful changes in bid rates across hundreds of contracts.
The CIB report says unauthorized access to the system influenced outcomes by altering financial proposals before final selection, though exact award outcomes remain difficult to verify until full tender completion.
The investigation found that login credentials linked to 1,136 bidders were accessed and misused through system operators, allowing changes in sensitive data.
The case initially surfaced after a complaint to the Cyber Bureau in Bhotahiti, Kathmandu, alleging unauthorized access to the Public Procurement Monitoring Office (PPMO) platform. As evidence of large-scale organized interference emerged, the case was transferred to the CIB.
One of the main accused, computer operator Diwakar Deuja, was arrested on Falgun 28. He is alleged to have accessed the system after bidding deadlines, reviewed confidential submissions, and altered rates to influence contract awards.
Investigators claim he also contacted contractors directly, negotiated amounts, and modified bids to ensure preferred outcomes.
Deuja is further accused of using programming tools, cloud servers, and PHP-based systems to breach the IMS server and create backdoor access.
Police also allege he operated under a fake identity, “Jeevan Limbu,” and communicated with contractors via WhatsApp and email to offer contract manipulation services. He was previously arrested in 2020 over hacking the Nepal Telecom mobile application system.
The report also alleges involvement of financial transactions through Bitcoin using a US-based intermediary, with remaining payments settled in cash in Nepal. So far, 13 individuals have been arrested in connection with the case.
Altogether, 22 individuals, including construction entrepreneurs, engineers, procurement officials, and former minister Bikram Pandey, have been charged. The government attorney’s office has filed cases at the Kathmandu District Court under offenses including unauthorized electronic access, organized cybercrime, and illegal financial transactions.
Former minister Pandey has denied all allegations, stating he has no connection with the accused or any involvement in system manipulation.
He said his company, Kalika Construction, follows standard bidding procedures, with internal technical evaluations conducted before submissions. Pandey further argued that bids, once submitted, cannot be altered and dismissed claims of unauthorized access as baseless, suggesting possible attempts to damage his reputation.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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