A charge sheet has been filed in a special court against 13 people including the then Vice-Chancellor Sangita Singh Bhandari on the charge of corruption in the purchase of MRI machines.
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The Abuse of Authority Investigation Commission has filed a charge sheet in a special court against 13 people including the then Vice-Chancellor Sangeeta Singh Bhandari for corruption in the purchase of MRI machines at Rapti Institute of Health Sciences, Ghorahi.
After receiving a complaint about financial irregularities by purchasing a low-quality MRI machine in the institution, the authority investigated. Authority spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel informed that the charge sheet was filed in the court on Thursday after the investigation confirmed that there were serious irregularities in the procurement process.
The authority has determined that the establishment has violated the prevailing Public Procurement Act, 2063 and Regulations, 2064 while purchasing MRI. It has been seen in the investigation of the authority that the budget has been demanded in bad faith without making the purchase requirement and procurement master plan.
It has been revealed in the investigation that technical specifications were prepared to match only certain companies and cost estimates were prepared by asking rates from companies run by the same family, contrary to Section 4 of the Public Procurement Act, 2063.
The authority's spokesperson Paudel informed that national level bids were invited in Gorkhapatra Daily without approving the technical specifications and cost estimates and the documents that should be included in the national level bids for international level bids have been used.
According to the proposal submitted by Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. from the meeting held before the opening of bids without the presence of interested bidders, Poudel said that the technical specification was revised and after the revision, the cost estimate should also be revised according to the law.
Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.'s proposal has been decided to be published as essentially minimal and technically effective, the authority has alleged. Even in the technical evaluation, the letter of intent was published considering the 11.45 million accepted by Badaniyet Rakhi Pvt Ltd as the minimum.
It has been seen that a decision has been made to open a letter of credit in the name of United Imaging Healthcare Malaysia, the machine manufacturer, without making an agreement with Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. The foundation itself has paid 3 lakh 18 thousand 791 rupees from the state fund for the cost of the certificate to be paid by the company awarded the contract. Customs duty of 11 lakh 54 thousand 86 rupees is also paid by the contractor company from the state fund. The exchange rate for
machine payouts has been decided to be in US dollars. While in national level contract, payment cannot be made in foreign currency. It has been seen in the investigation of the authority that the supplier Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. has decided to open a bond in the name of the producer company in the name of the producer company without making an agreement in Nepalese rupees.
According to the continuation of the malicious act, a contract has been signed between Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. In which the exchange rate is 119.60 rupees equal to one American dollar, 80 percent of the amount has been paid in advance, i.e. 90 million 19 lakhs 53 thousand 742 rupees 40 paise.
2 crore 73 lakh 34 thousand 326 rupees 31 money under the 20 percent liability still owed by the establishment. 12 crore 7 lakh 60 thousand 946 rupees 18 paise has been spent on the purchase of MRI machine, including the duty on the certificate, customs duty and the price of the machine. The authority's investigation has shown that the price agreed by Lumbini Healthcare Pvt Ltd for the purchase of the machine was 114.45 million rupees, and the additional financial burden of the establishment was 62 million 60 thousand 946 rupees 18 paisa due to the fraudulent completion of the work.
The authority claims that even when the MRI machine is not of good quality according to the prescribed specifications, it has done a bad job by giving wrong test report and approving the machine which should not be accepted. From the investigation of the authority, it has been revealed that technical specifications have been prepared to match only with a certain company without confirming the need for the purchase of the machine. Similarly, it has been seen that cost estimates have been prepared by requesting rates from companies operated by the same family.
Also, based on the proposal submitted by Lumbini Healthcare Pvt Ltd in the technical specification prepared in the past, only the technical specification has been revised without changing the cost estimate to suit the said company. Similarly, in the national level bidding process, the authority has concluded that the related importers have to open the promissory note themselves, keeping the provisions of the international level bidding process, and the expenses of the bidding process have been paid from the state fund.
Similarly, it has been confirmed that the payment was made on the basis of a false bill by preparing a false test report stating that the material was of good quality, according to the conditions and standards, even when the company that received the contract had made an agreement to pay in US dollars. Paudel, the spokesperson of the authority, informed that since the act was a criminal act under section 8 and section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059, a charge sheet was filed in the special court, Kathmandu with various punishments and demands against 13 people.
The authority has considered 12 crore 7 lakh 60 thousand 946 rupees 18 paisa as bad and accordingly, the fine and expenses of 9 crore 34 lakh 26 thousand 619 rupees 87 paisa have been demanded in the charge sheet. Also, according to sub-section (1) of section 8 of Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059, imprisonment from three months to three years has also been demanded.
The Authority has filed a charge sheet against then Vice-Chancellor Sangeeta Singh Bhandari, then Acting Registrar Jhankar Lamichhane, then Finance Manager Kailash Prasad Dev, biomedical engineer of the institution Sharad Bhandari and biomedical engineer of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajganj Amit Kumar Chaudhary.
Similarly, a charge sheet has been filed against Nitin Kurmi, deputy finance manager of the institution, Chhayadevi DC and Shriram Chaudhary, branch officers of the institution, IT officer Hiralal Bhandari, Madan Bhandari, the then civil engineer of the institution, Anju Sharma, senior assistant, and Sujata Bhattarai, the then biomedical engineer of the health service department.
Similarly, a charge sheet has also been submitted against the contractor company Lumbini Healthcare Pvt Ltd and the company's chairman Postraj Gyawali.
Rapti Health Sciences Institute Act, 2074 established the institute. Established as Mahendra Health Center in 2016, the health institution has been upgraded and has now turned into an institution. In 2021, it was upgraded to 15-bed Mahendra Hospital, 25-bed hospital in 2050 and 50-bed hospital in 2064.
On 12th Chait 2065 Rapti sub-regional hospital was upgraded. In the year 2071, it was converted into a hospital with 100 beds in the year 2074. Bhandari was appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor after the establishment of the institution. His tenure ended in February 2078.
