CIAA files corruption case against 12, including Chief Secretary Aryal

KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal, accusing him of irregularities in the printing of excise duty stickers.

The case was lodged today at the Special Court, alleging Chief Secretary Aryal’s mismanagement during his tenure as Secretary of the Ministry of Communication.

In addition to Chief Secretary Aryal, the following officials are also named as defendants:

• Ritesh Kumar Shakya, Joint Secretary at the Finance Ministry
• Tanka Prasad Pandey, Under Director General at the Customs Department
• Bikal Paudel, then Executive Director at the Security Printing Press
• Ganesh Bikram Shahi, Under Secretary at Inland Revenue Department, Lazimpat
• Safal Shrestha, then Director at National Information Technology Center
• Rabindra Prasad Paudel, Section Officer at Inland Revenue Department, Lazimpat
• Bishnu Prasad Gautam, then Officer at the Security Printing Press
• Hari Ballav Ghimire, then Officer at the Security Printing Press
• Shakti Prasad Shrestha, Purchase Consular at the Security Printing Press
• Keshav Sharma, Director of Print Cell Pvt. Ltd
• Print Cell Pvt. Ltd

The allegations pertain to Aryal’s nine-month tenure as Secretary at the Ministry of Communication, during which the Security Printing Press and Print Cell Pvt. Ltd entered into an agreement to print 433.2 million stickers for Rs 380 million.

At that time, Bikal Paudel was serving as the Executive Director of the Security Printing Press.