The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed three separate corruption cases at the Special Court against former Nepal Bank Limited Chairman Dr. Chandra Bahadur Adhikari and several others, accusing them of taking bribes in connection with loan facilitation.
According to the CIAA, Dr. Adhikari accepted a bribe of Rs 1.9 million in exchange for facilitating a loan of Rs 1.77 billion from Nepal Bank Limited for a project under Bhusal Hospitality, based in Belahiya, Siddharthanagar Municipality–1, Rupandehi.
The commission stated that Dr. Adhikari held multiple meetings and communicated via social media with Bhusal Hospitality Chairperson Bal Krishna Bhusal and his son Ankit Bhusal after the loan application had been submitted. The bribe was allegedly received in two separate payments – Rs 700,000 and Rs 1.2 million – through cheques delivered via different individuals in August–September 2024, in collusion with Lucky Khan, also known as Khus Nasib Ansari.
The CIAA has demanded recovery of the same amount from Dr. Adhikari, Ansari, Bal Krishna Bhusal, Ankit Bhusal, and Amrit Bhusal, and filed a case against them at the Special Court on Monday, according to CIAA Spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel.
Separate Bribery and Illicit Wealth Cases
In a second case, the CIAA accused Dr. Adhikari of demanding Rs 5 million from the operator of Akala Devi Traders, based in Abukhaireni, Tanahun, for facilitating a loan process. The commission has filed a separate lawsuit against him along with Narayan Prasad Baral, Dan Bahadur Karki, Sunder Bahadur Baniya, Santosh Subedi, and Khus Nasib Ansari, demanding equal restitution of Rs 5 million from each.
In a third case, Dr. Adhikari has also been charged with taking a bribe of Rs 500,000 for facilitating a loan for Himal Tarai Construction Pvt Ltd, located in Kathmandu Metropolitan City–32. The CIAA has filed this case against him and Ramesh Acharya, seeking restitution of the same amount.
Illicit Asset Case Against Former Engineer
Separately, the CIAA has also filed a corruption case against Ram Babu Mahto Koiri, a former engineer at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, accusing him of amassing illegal property during his tenure in public office from May 1990 to March 2022.
During this period, Koiri's legal income was determined to be Rs 33.77 million, while his total expenses and investments amounted to Rs 79.67 million. The source of Rs 45.89 million could not be substantiated.
According to the CIAA, Koiri used this unexplained wealth to purchase land, buy shares, construct a house, and maintain bank deposits in the name of his wife, Malakumari Mahato. The commission has filed a case against both Koiri and his wife, seeking action based on the amount of unjustified assets. -- RSS
This news has been updated to correct the headline and the lede.
