Kathmandu, June 19: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption in the government’s passport printing contract, with complaints claiming losses exceeding Rs 1 billion.
The case centers on possible manipulation of the procurement process, the technical qualifications of contractors, and whether the firms met requirements set out in the tender documents.
The complaint, which was also submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, has triggered a high-profile investigation. Sources say concerns were raised over the technical capacity of contractors, including their servers for storing passport data and the specifications of passport printing machines.
Investigators are also examining why two separate companies received contracts for similar work under different packages.
The CIAA on Monday arrested Department of Passports Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal, Information Technology Director Sunil Kumar KC, Muehlbauer’s Nepal representative Manindra Raj Malla, and former department accounts officer Tulsi Prasad Acharya.
Sources claim pressure from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat helped accelerate the investigation after the matter became linked to former Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and Siddhartha Thapa, the Nepal representative of Veridos.
Last July, the Department of Passports awarded contracts worth more than Rs 7.5 billion to German firms Muehlbauer and Veridos for printing nearly 6.4 million passports. Muehlbauer secured a Rs 1.55 billion contract, while Veridos received a Rs 6.11 billion deal. Both companies were required to complete the work by the end of the current fiscal year.
Investigators are assessing whether the firms possess the infrastructure needed to meet contractual obligations, including a requirement to print and deliver 6,000 passports daily. The contracts were signed after the expiry of the department’s agreement with French company IDEMIA, whose own Rs 2.5 billion passport deal in 2020 had also faced scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the CIAA has issued a notice to Arzu Rana Deuba, directing her to appear within three days to record a statement. The anti-graft body posted the notice at her Budhanilkantha residence, warning of legal action if she fails to comply.
Deuba has reportedly informed the CIAA by email that she cannot appear within the specified period. Sources say she and her husband are currently in Hong Kong for medical treatment. Siddhartha Thapa is also reportedly outside Nepal and is believed to have crossed into India shortly before the latest arrests were made.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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