KATHMANDU, Aug 14: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday convicted former minister and Nepali Congress leader Khum Bahadur Khadka of corruption and slapped
on him one-and a-half years jail term and a fine of Rs 9.47 million. A division bench of Justices Kalyan Kumar Shrestha and Baidyanath Upadhyay issued the verdict against Khadka.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had accused Khadka of acquiring Rs 23.6 million from undisclosed sources during his stints in the past as minister at different ministries. [break]
Four years after the anti-graft body filed the graft case, a division bench of then SC Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha and Justice Sushila Karki had on March 27, 2011 ordered Khadka to appear before the court.
The hearings on the case began from October 24, 2011. A bench comprising of then Special Court Chairman Bhupadhwaj Adhikari and members Komal Nath Sharma and Cholendra Samasher JBR on 15 November, 2006 had given a clean chit to Khadka. The CIAA on 29 March, 2007 had appealed against the Special Court´s judgment at the SC.
The security had been stepped up at the court premises considering possible protest by his supporters. Last Saturday, NC’s youth wing had threatened a stir, saying Khadka was being framed in a false corruption case.
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