Supreme Court disqualifies Nepal anti-corruption chief

Prachanda, 3 other top leaders face social media ire

IN A verdict that may have far-reaching consequences and may bring the moral credentials of top leaders of four major political parties — including Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”, a former president and at least two former chief justices — the Supreme Court on Sunday held Lokman Singh Karki, chief of the constitutional antigraft body Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Authority (CIAA), not qualified and annulled his appointment made 4 years ago.

The three-member bench on Sunday of the Supreme Court, not only set aside its previous judgment upholding Karki’s appointment, but asked the President as well as the constitutional council to appoint a “qualified” person in his place.

Even though the SC issued no adverse remarks on appointing authorities, comments on social media flooded soon after the verdict insisting that the top leaders of the four major parties — then PM and Nepali Congress chief Sushil Koirala, Maoist party chief and Prime Minister Prachanda, Opposition leader and former PM Jhalnath Khanal and Madhesi Front leader Bijay Gachedar — must be held accountable for “jointly recommending” Karki to the post in May 2013. Based on that recommendation, the Constitutional Council headed by Khilraj Regmi who was then CJ and PM, had appointed Karki.

The bench held that Karki, who entered the service following a Royal decree as an Under Secretary as part of the Royal Service cadre and then moved to the government service, did not have the 20-year experience and expertise needed, as mentioned in the Constitution, to be appointed the CIAA chief.