Committee to probe wide-body scam

Kathmandu, Jan 3 – The government has formed a three-member high-level judicial committee to probe into the alleged irregularities in the procurement of the wide-body aircraft for the Nepal Airlines Corporation.
The committee chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Govinda Prasad Parajuli includes former deputy Attorney General Narendra Prasad Pathak and Chartered Accountant Madan Sharma. The committee has been formed in wake of the releasing of a report by a parliamentary sub-committee.
The committee has been formed by the Council of Ministers with a jurisdiction to examine the procurement of the two Airbus aircrafts and with a 45-day term to report back to the government, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota said.
It may be noted that the Sub-committee under the Public Accounts Committee had concluded that embezzlement took place in the matter and recommended action against Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Rabindra Adhikari, former ministers Jeevan Bahadur Shahi and Jitendra Dev, Secretary Krishna Prasad Devkota and former Secretaries Prem Rai and Shanker Prasad Adhikari, as well as NAC Managing Director Sugat Ratna Kansakar.
The Sub-committee has found that Rs. 4.35 billion was embezzled in procuring the wide-body aircrafts for the state-owned Corporation.

Bibeksheel Sajha’s attention drawn in wide body purchasing process

The Bibeksheel Sajha Party has stated that its serious attention was drawn over the issue of alleged embezzlement in the purchase of the wide-body air craft for the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC).
The parliament subcommittee formed to investigate into the case has reported that Rs 4.35 billion was found to have been embezzled in the procurement by the NAC.
The party Spokesperson Dr Suresh Raj Acharya, issuing a press statement here today, has urged the government to form an impartial probe committee and relieve the concerned officials from their respective posts.