Former minister Shrestha convicted guilty in corruption case

Corruption in Nepal is so deep-rooted that almost all bureaucrats and politicians resort to corruption to amass property. It was evident from the decision of the Special Court.

The Special Court the other day convicted former Minister Ram Kumar Shrestha in a corruption case. Shrestha was Minister for Tourism, Sports and Peace in the government led by Khilraj Regmi in 2012, before the second Constituent Assembly polls.

A bench of judges Yamuna Bhattarai and Khusi Prasad Tharu on Monday convicted him guilty and clamped a fine and jail sentence. According to the Special Court, Shrestha was fined Rs. 9.8 million, sentenced to six months in jail and had his property confiscated. Earlier, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a case against Shrestha, his wife and son stating that the source of the assets worth Rs. 44.5 million owned by Shrestha could not be ascertained. The case was filed on February 27, 2022, claiming that he had illegally amassed wealth money while serving as a teacher, section officer, secretary and minister.

Shrestha entered the teaching profession in 1969 and became a section officer in 1979. He retired from the position of secretary in the Nepal Government in 2007 and became a minister in 2012.

The CIAA found that out of total assets worth Rs. 69,016,627, the source of assets worth Rs. 44,527,666 could not be identified.

The CIAA demanded the freezing of his movable and nonmovable property worth Rs. 6.8 million and the remaining fine is to be fulfilled by the property of Shrestha's wife and son.