CIAA files graft cases against 36 PAF officials

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed graft cases against 36 officials of Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) at the Special Court accusing them of embezzling Rs 43.4 million using fake documents.

The CIAA has charged 31 managers, three account officers and two other officers of embezzling Rs 43.4 million in three different fiscal years. According to the CIAA, the PAF officials produced inflated bills and fake documents as proof of the costs involved in organizing different programs and making abroad trips.

Similarly, they have also been accused of pocketing huge amount of money by submitting fake bills on different heads and in the name of advance salary. A press statement issued by the CIAA read that the 36 officials embezzled Rs 9.7 million in the fiscal year 2009/10, Rs 18.4 million in 2010/11 and Rs 15.4 in 2011/12. 

The graft cases have been filed against managers Dipa Regmi, Jharendra Bahadur Singh, Nirak Bahadur Sunar, Rabindra Kumar Suwal, Ramesh Lama, Om Prasad Poudel, Mina Nakarmi, Mahesh Kumar Sahi, Bikram Karki, Lokendra Singh Badal, Padam Singh Thagunna, Pramod Kumar Joshi, Bhupananda BK, Kamal Bahadur Thing, Malati Chaudhary, Sajada Khatung, Nabin Kumar Pokharel, Ram Bahadur Bhusal, Amar Kumar Pakhrin, Pravin Manandhar, Bal Krishna Bishwokarma, Krishna Bahadur Serala, Tara Prasad Joshi, Ishwori Lal BK, Manoj Kumar Gupta, Pradip Poudel, Arun Pandey, Achyut Man Singh Pradan, Nirmal Panta, Sumita Malla and Raj Babu Shrestha.