Verdict on suspended central bank governor’s case

This Blog will be constantly tracking the news related to corruption case of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) governor Bijay Nath Bhattarai. The case has been deferred again and verdict is unlikely to be out any time soon if this is the way courts move on. There seems to be incompetency on the part of Investigating Authority to collect all the evidence with proper caution. We would like to see that the case is decided soon and if the accused is found guilty, a maximum punishment as per nepalese law be imposed on him. This should send clear message to the corrupt officials in our country that corruption is no more tolerated. For this to happen, the investigations must be complete on all fronts and the designated court must decide it soon. Justice delayed is of course, justice denied. You can read some of the developments in near and distant past on this case in this post.

Here is a Report from Kantipur that the case is deferred again.

The much-awaited verdict on the corruption case filed against the suspended Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) governor Bijay Nath Bhattarai was deferred for the sixth time on Monday.At the end of the office hour today, the Special Court stated that it could not give the verdict due to time constraint and added that the case will resume on February 15.On January 13, the court had put off the verdict for the fifth consecutive time, citing lack of evidence after the central bank failed to furnish proof relating to the authenticity of a letter from Sri Lanka-based consulting firm KPMG in a corruption case against suspended Governor Bhattarai and another NRB official, Surendra Man Pradhan.

According to sources, the court has not been able to give its verdict on the case since the NRB is yet to provide proof relating to the letter’s authenticity.

Bhattarai, along with Pradhan, are facing a corruption charge filed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the constitutional anti-graft body, on June 29 last year.

CIAA has accused Bhattarai and Pradhan of causing a loss amounting Rs 24.5 million to the public by not claiming compensations after terminating a consulting agreement unilaterally.

Division bench of judges Cholendra SJB Rana and Komal Nath Sharma are carrying out the hearing.

Before Above News was out, We had published that the case will be decided on January 28. Our Previous Report was taken from Kantipur whose exact link could not be found now. The Report was:

    The Special Court Monday is due to give much-awaited verdict on the corruption case filed against the suspended Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) governor Bijay Nath Bhattarai.The court had earlier deferred the hearing on the Central Bank governor for the fifth consecutive time citing different reasons.

The court had put off the verdict on 13 January for today citing reasons of lack of evidence after the central bank failed to furnish proof relating to the authenticity of a letter from Sri Lanka-based consulting firm KPMG in a corruption case against suspended Governor Bhattarai and another NRB official, Surendra Man Pradhan.

Bhattarai, along with Pradhan, are facing a corruption charge filed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the constitutional anti-graft body, on June 29 last year.

CIAA has accused Bhattarai and Pradhan of causing a loss amounting Rs 24.5 million to the public by not claiming compensations after terminating a consulting agreement unilaterally.

Division bench of judges Cholendra SJB Rana and Komal Nath Sharma are carrying out the hearing.

Some other Reports related to this case can be read in following Links:

Court gets Lanka firm papers : twist in case of RBB Governor

NRB guv case verdict rescheduled for Feb 15