Largest Corruption scandal of Nepal

[Samundra Paudel]

On February13, 2012, The Special Court on Monday convicted five persons including three former Inspector General Police (IGPs) and two suppliers on charges of corruption in the multi-million dollar Sudan scam.

A special bench headed by Chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki and comprising members Justices Om Prakash Mishra and Kedar Chalise issued the verdict on the biggest high-profile corruption case in the country’s history. However, the court gave a clean-chit to 31 police officers who were accused in the scam earlier.

Each of the convicts have been sentenced to two years in jail along with fine--ranging from Rs 40 million to Rs 280 million. 

The Special Court has slapped a fine of Rs 170 million on former IGP Om Bikram Rana, Rs 60 million fine on ex IGP Hem Bahadur Gurung and Rs 40 million on former IGP Ramesh Chand Thakuri.

Likewise, the court pronounced a two-year jail term and Rs 280 million fine to Director of London-based Assured Risks, Michael Rider, who supplied the Armoured Personal Carriers (APCs) and other logistics for the Nepal Police Peace Keeping Mission deployed in Darfur, Sudan.

Proprietor of Bhagwati Traders, Shambhu Bharati, who was the local agent of Assured Risks Limited, has been slapped a fine Rs 140 million along with the jail term.

In June last year, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a corruption case against 34 top police officers and two suppliers on the charge of misappropriating millions of rupees during the purchase of APCs for Nepali peace keeping mission deployed in Darfur, Sudan.