Commission excludes current cabinet from probe

KATHMANDU: A government-formed high-level property investigation commission has clarified that it will not investigate the assets of the current Council of Ministers, as this is not included in its Terms of Reference (ToR).

The commission, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Rajendra Kumar Bhattarai, was formed on April 15 (Baisakh 2) to probe assets of public office holders since 2006/07 (2062/63).

Although the government initially indicated that current ministers would also be included, a commission member confirmed that the ToR excludes the current Prime Minister and Cabinet, as well as officials from the Supreme Court, Army, and constitutional bodies.

However, police and Armed Police Force officials—current and former—fall within its scope.

The commission has a one-year mandate and is collecting complaints while distributing asset declaration forms, requiring submissions within Jestha.

Action against non-compliance will be decided later. The issue has sparked political debate, with CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli criticizing the process in a recent remark referencing “burning houses” and “ashes.”