SC steps up hearings in graft case backlog

KATHMANDU, Aug 9: Amid much speculation, the Supreme Court (SC) has begun hearings in much-touted corruption cases involving high ranking politicians and bureaucrats which have been pending at the apex court for years.

On Monday alone, the SC held hearings in three different corruption cases. An SC division bench comprising Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi and Justice Kalyan Shrestha held hearings in two corruption cases involving former inspectors general of Nepal Police (IGPs) Motilal Bohara and Achyut Krishna Kharel.[break]

Another SC division bench comprising Justices Top Bahadur Magar and Sushila Karki held hearings in graft charges facing former communications and information minister Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta.

The SC has scheduled the next hearings in the cases against Kharel and Bohora for August 23 while the division bench of Justices Magar and Karki will hold the next hearing in Gupta´s case on August 17.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed corruption cases against the three ---Gupta, Kharel and Bohora-- accusing them of amassing property without any legitimate source.

The CIAA had concluded that the three misused their public posts and accumulated moveable and immoveable property through illicit means.

Only a few lawyers pleaded for Gupta, Bohora and Kharel on Monday.

The CIAA filed case against Gupta at the Special Court, accusing him of illicitly accumulating property worth about Rs 23 million and also submitted chargesheets at the Special Court against Bohora and Kharel, accusing them of graft to the tune of Rs 23.8 million and 16.3 million respectively.

The Special Court, however, scrapped the cases against the three, citing statute of limitations.

Hearings in three cases on Monday alone

Cases involving Gupta, Bohora and Kharel in priority

Lawyers focus on statute of limitations

"We have concentrated our pleadings on the statute of limitations for chargesheets against anyone who was in a public position," admitted Senior Advocate Harihar Dahal.

The CIAA had filed appeals at the apex court after the Special Court acquitted the three under statute of limitations.

Expressing dissatisfaction with Special Court´s judgment, the CIAA filed a review petition at the apex court against nearly 300 officials ranging from civil servants to high ranking politicians.

Of the total number of corruption cases pending at the SC, the apex court settled only one corruption case, involving former minister Chiranjibi Wagle, who is currently serving a jail term.

The Special Court, citing the CIAA Act 2048 BS, had scrapped the cases involving Gupta, Bohora, Kharel and others on ground of statute of limitations.