Two investigation teams-- one led by lawmaker Pradip Gyawali and another by Home Ministry officials-- had concluded that around Rs 300 million was embezzled while procuring the APCs and other logistics for Nepali peacekeepers deployed in Darfur, Sudan.[break]
The government and parliament had formed committees to probe the matter following media reports that Nepal Police had supplied obsolete, substandard and non-functional APCs to its peacekeepers.
“We have already grilled some 25 police officers including a deputy inspector general (DIG),” said the source, adding, “Those grilled by the commission have implicated senior police officers in the alleged irregularities in the deal.”
The source added that the decision to grill high-ranking police officers was taken following statements recorded by junior officers.
According to a CIAA source, former IGPs Om Bikram Rana and Hem Bahadur Gurung and incumbent IGP Ramesh Chand will record their statements at the commission shortly.
The anti-graft body recently summoned and grilled police officers working at the procurement section, finance section and legal unit at Nepal Police Headquarters.
Two different reports prepared by a joint team of home ministry officials and lawmakers had concluded that the lives of Nepali peacekeepers in Sudan are in danger as they are carrying out their duties without any APCs.
The UN had also drawn the attention of the Nepal government to the insecure conditions under which Nepal Police peacekeepers have been working. In addition, the government was cautioned that the mission could be declared non-functional if APCs are not supplied to them at the earliest.
The CIAA had begun its investigation following the findings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC had recommended to the government to investigate the alleged scam seriously. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (PMO) had forwarded the PAC´s recommendation to the CIAA for necessary investigations.
“We have been investigating the matter through three separate committees,” said the CIAA source, adding, “Our preliminary investigation has not found former home minister Krishna Situala and Home Secretary Umesh Mainali guilty.”
Asked whether they are also summoning Situala and Mainali for interrogation, the CIAA source said, “Summoning Sitaula and Mainali depends on the statements to be recorded by the former and serving IGPs.”
Following the UN letter, the Madhav Kumar Nepal government had decided nearly a month ago to procure the APCs through competitive bidding.
The erstwhile government had decided to ask the UN not to take any decision about repatriating the Nepali mission.
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