The Authority has filed a case against Moonkarmi in the Special Court, imposing a fine of Rs 25 million 34 thousand 517 on him for abusing his public position and acquiring illegal wealth.
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The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday filed a corruption case against Munkarmi, one of the officials recommended for suspension, after the Public Accounts Committee of the dissolved House of Representatives directed the suspension of eight people, including Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) Pradeep Adhikari and Manager Vinesh Munkarmi, in connection with irregularities in the Pokhara Regional International Airport Project.
The CIAA has filed a case against Munkarmi in a special court for amassing illegal wealth by abusing public office. The CIAA has also made Munkarmi's wife Purnakeshari Gosai a defendant for the purpose of confiscation of property for the crime of amassing illegal wealth by keeping it in the name of a family member.
The CIAA had filed a corruption case against 56 people, including the Director General of the Authority, 5 former ministers, 9 former secretaries, and a former registrar of the Supreme Court, on November 21, for irregularities in the development of the master plan and contract agreement of the Pokhara Airport Project. A case was filed against Munkarmi, who is under the radar of the CIAA's investigation for irregularities in the same project, on Tuesday for the crime of amassing undeserved wealth.
The case has been filed against those involved in the contract agreement before the airport construction and the malicious decisions made in it. The CIAA has stated that the investigation into the irregularities in the construction is ongoing. The charge sheet filed in the special court against the current project chief and manager of the authority, Moonkarmi, who was dragged into the same investigation, mentions the crime of abusing his position and acquiring wealth. Moonkarmi, who was made a defendant in the illegal acquisition of wealth, was deployed as the project chief after the currently suspended Director General Adhikari.
The Accounts Committee of the dissolved House of Representatives had formed a 12-member parliamentary investigation subcommittee on 13 Ashad 2081 under the coordination of the then MP and RPP Chairman Rajendra Prasad Lingden to investigate the scam in the airport construction. After 10 months, the subcommittee submitted its report to the Accounts Committee on 28 Baisakh 2082.
The report pointed out that at least 10 billion rupees had been involved in corruption in the airport construction. The Accounts Committee had directed the CIAA to conduct further investigation and bring the culprits to justice. The CIAA, which has filed a case in the airport construction contract, has stated that a supplementary investigation is underway into the irregularities in the construction.
The CIAA had investigated a complaint that Munkarmi, who was the manager of the authority and is currently working as the head of the Pokhara Regional International Airport Project Implementation Unit under the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority, had acted contrary to his official duties and acquired illegal assets.
Munkarmi has been working in the government/public service since 1 Chaitra 2054. The CIAA had brought the assets for the period up to 14 Mangsir 2080 under the scope of investigation.
According to the CIAA's charge sheet, Munkarmi had only a legitimate income of Rs 37.381 million, 444, but during the investigation, assets worth Rs 62.615 million were found and the case was filed by fixing the amount of the difference in income and expenditure, said the CIAA's assistant spokesperson Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari.
‘The fact that the defendant Moonkarmi, a public servant, has acquired illegal assets equal to the said amount, is inconsistent and unnatural with the property details submitted by the defendant in accordance with the prevailing law. It is seen that the defendant has been living a disproportionate and unnaturally high standard of living compared to his legal income without reasonable grounds. It has been found that he has acquired assets illegally by abusing his authority while in public service and has purchased properties in the name of his wife. Therefore, a charge sheet has been filed in the Special Court, Kathmandu.’
After an investigation into irregularities in the construction of the project, the parliamentary committee had directed the government to suspend Moonkarmi. However, the parliamentary committee’s instructions were not followed. A case was filed against the same Moonkarmi on Tuesday on charges of acquiring illegal assets.
