Kathmandu, June 23: The Special Court has begun recording statements from seven individuals, including Department of Passports Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal, in connection with the alleged irregularities in the e-passport printing procurement process.
The proceedings are being conducted before a bench comprising judges Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemant Rawal and Umesh Koirala. Aryal and six others appeared before the court and their statements are currently being recorded.
On Monday, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) presented the accused before the court. Those facing charges include Director General Aryal, Director Sunil Kumar KC, former Accounts Officer Tulsi Prasad Acharya, former Section Officer Somesh Thapa, Computer Engineer Bipin Prasain, former Under Secretary (Legal) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rajaram Dahal, and Munindra Raj Malla, the Nepal representative of German company Mühlbauer.
If the recording of statements is completed today, the court is expected to proceed with detention hearings to determine whether the accused should be held in custody pending trial.
The CIAA on Monday filed a corruption case alleging irregularities worth more than Rs 10.13 billion in the e-passport printing project. According to the anti-graft body, officials and representatives of foreign companies colluded during the bidding process for two procurement packages, causing billions of rupees in losses to the state.
The CIAA has filed charges against Director General Aryal, Information Technology Director Sunil Kumar KC, former directors Shatrudhwani Prasad Sharma Pokharel and Rabindra Rajbhandari, former Accounts Officer Tulsi Prasad Acharya, Computer Engineer Bipin Prasain, former Section Officer Somesh Thapa, former Foreign Ministry under secretaries Rajaram Dahal, Bhes Prasad Bhurtel and Pushkar Raj Nepal. The commission has sought recovery of Rs 10.13 billion from the accused.
The case also names German firm Mühlbauer and its representatives Gerhard Maurer, Pavle Rakic and Munindra Raj Malla, against whom the CIAA has sought recovery of Rs 1.90 billion.
Similarly, charges have been filed against Veridos and its representatives Fabiola Bellersheim, Florian Pakulin and Siddhartha Thapa. The CIAA has demanded recovery of Rs 8.22 billion from them, along with imprisonment equivalent to that sought for the principal offenders, fines matching the alleged losses and an additional recovery of Rs 184.4 million.
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