CIAA files corruption case against 6, including former Golbazar mayor

Siraha, October 27

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against six people, including former Golbazar mayor Devnath Sah Teli, in Siraha district.

The anti-graft body has filed the case against Teli, Deputy Mayor Resham Kumari Thapa, former chief administrative officer Shridhar KC, acting chief administrative officer Ram Narayan Mahato, Revenue Section Chief Dinesh Kumar Sahani and contractor Birendra Kumar Yadav.

They have been accused of misappropriating money while settling a contract-related dispute, collecting advance revenue without signing an agreement and misappropriating outstanding revenue, among other irregularities.

According to the CIAA, contractor Yadav was assigned responsibility on a custodial basis to collect revenue from livestock markets, goat markets and Gudri markets in wards 6 and 7 in the fiscal year 2020/21. However, the commission found that revenue exemptions had been granted and irregularities had occurred in revenue collection in violation of municipal executive decisions and prevailing laws.

The CIAA stated that a revenue exemption of Rs 7,334,913 had been granted by exercising the authority to waive taxes, a power that could only be exercised by the municipal assembly, contrary to a decision of the municipal executive. The charge sheet also states that revenue that should have been collected directly by the municipality was handed over to the contractor, resulting in the misappropriation of public funds.

According to the commission, the failure to recover the amount due from contractor Yadav also caused losses to public property.

The CIAA has sought punishment under the Corruption Prevention Act, 2002, against former mayor Teli, Deputy Mayor Thapa and former chief administrative officer KC, with a claimed loss amount of Rs 16,046,344.10 each.

Similarly, a claimed loss amount of Rs 13,311,431.10 each has been set against former acting chief administrative officer Mahato and Revenue Section Chief Sahani.

The commission has also sought punishment for contractor Yadav, setting the claimed loss amount at Rs 16,046,344.10, on charges of benefiting from corruption and involvement in unlawful activities.

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