An official of the CIAA informed that Arju Rana had sent an email stating that he was ready to fully cooperate in the investigation and that he could not return to Nepal immediately due to medical treatment.
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The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned then Foreign Minister Arju Rana Deuba for a statement in the passport purchase contract case. The commission had served a notice on Wednesday at Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha, stating that he should appear within three days.
The CIAA team posted a notice at Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha on Wednesday, stating that it was necessary to take a statement regarding the complaint of corruption in passport printing.
However, Arju Rana has informed the commission through an email that he will not be able to appear within the specified three days as he is abroad for medical treatment.
Stating that he is ready to fully cooperate in the investigation, an official of the CIAA informed that he sent an email stating that he cannot return to Nepal immediately due to medical treatment.
In the passport procurement contract case, the CIAA has so far arrested the then Director General of the Passport Department, Tirtha Raj Aryal, Director Sunil Kumar KC, Manindra Raj Malla, a Nepali agent of the German company Muhrbauer, and Tulsi Prasad Acharya, the then Accounts Officer of the department. The special court has allowed them to be detained for investigation.
According to the Commission officials, a detailed investigation is underway on more than 35 people in the alleged irregularities in the passport procurement. According to the CIAA, statements of more than 20 people, including government officials and company representatives related to the contract process, have been recorded, while more people are being questioned during the investigation. The CIAA claims that the initial investigation has revealed irregularities worth about 8 billion rupees in the passport procurement process.
According to the source, after the complaint regarding the purchase of passports was received by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the CIAA, the government also took interest in the matter. In the process, the Prime Minister's Office sent a team to the Passport Department to study the contract process and the status of the passport stock.
This is the notice posted at the house
