The anti-graft body has again asked the government to allow it to probe the private sector, though the constitutional body has been blamed for arresting only ‘small fishes’ leaving the corrupt-sharks Scot free.
Speaking during an interaction on the annual report of the commission at the Parliamentary Committee on Good Governance today, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has said that it should be allowed to investigate the corruption cases of the private sector. “The commission should be authorised to investigate the corruption cases in the private sector that are directly concerned with the public,” secretary at the CIAA Suresh Adhikari said. “The investigations into the irregularities in banks and financial institutions (BFIs) – where the public has a huge investment – should be under the domain of the CIAA,” he claimed, adding that the CIAA should have the authority to look into the corruption in the cooperatives, banks and financial institutions. “We are not talking about all private institutions.”
The private sector, however, is against the CIAA demand. They have met with the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and complained about the government’s proposed bill that is going to give the CIAA extra teeth to bite private sector also. The premier has then halted the bill for the time being.
The participating lawmakers have, however, blamed the CIAA for not taking action on bid corruption cases and focusing on the small cases only. “The trend of political appointment in the CIAA has helped corruption flourish in the country,” lawmaker Bijay Subba said, arguing that the rate of corruption can be significantly brought down, if the system of political appointment to the public posts is not practiced. “Political pressure is a key factor to escalate corruption.”
The lawmakers, on the occasion, also blamed the CIAA for its failure in controlling the cases of corruption at the local level. Questioning the system of political appointment of the CIAA chief and other commissioners, the lawmakers concluded that there is no meaning of complaining about the commission unless it is free from politics.
“The poor can never be corrupt, however, those who hold power and post are highly indulged in abusing their authority,” another lawmaker Janardan Sharma said, accepting that the political sector has turned out to be the most corrupt one.
According to the annual report presented by the CIAA, most corruption complaints were related to local governments in the last fiscal year 2019-20. “Of the total complaints filed at the CIAA, some 26.87 per cent are related to irregularities at the local level, while some 16.95 per cent cases are related to the education sector followed by 8.34 per cent in land administration, some 4.6 per cent in forest and environment and 3.98 per cent in health and population. “Likewise, some 8.53 per cent cases registered in the last fiscal year were related to fake credentials and 7.61 per cent to acquiring property illegally.”
Though the commission claimed that it has registered a record cases in the last fiscal year, most of them are petty corruptions. The incumbent cabinet ministers have been allegedly involved in the large corruption cases, and the parliamentary committees are also investigating the charges, but the CIAA has not been interested to investigate them, the lawmakers also blamed.
Speaking during an interaction on the annual report of the commission at the Parliamentary Committee on Good Governance today, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has said that it should be allowed to investigate the corruption cases of the private sector. “The commission should be authorised to investigate the corruption cases in the private sector that are directly concerned with the public,” secretary at the CIAA Suresh Adhikari said. “The investigations into the irregularities in banks and financial institutions (BFIs) – where the public has a huge investment – should be under the domain of the CIAA,” he claimed, adding that the CIAA should have the authority to look into the corruption in the cooperatives, banks and financial institutions. “We are not talking about all private institutions.”
The private sector, however, is against the CIAA demand. They have met with the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and complained about the government’s proposed bill that is going to give the CIAA extra teeth to bite private sector also. The premier has then halted the bill for the time being.
The participating lawmakers have, however, blamed the CIAA for not taking action on bid corruption cases and focusing on the small cases only. “The trend of political appointment in the CIAA has helped corruption flourish in the country,” lawmaker Bijay Subba said, arguing that the rate of corruption can be significantly brought down, if the system of political appointment to the public posts is not practiced. “Political pressure is a key factor to escalate corruption.”
The lawmakers, on the occasion, also blamed the CIAA for its failure in controlling the cases of corruption at the local level. Questioning the system of political appointment of the CIAA chief and other commissioners, the lawmakers concluded that there is no meaning of complaining about the commission unless it is free from politics.
“The poor can never be corrupt, however, those who hold power and post are highly indulged in abusing their authority,” another lawmaker Janardan Sharma said, accepting that the political sector has turned out to be the most corrupt one.
According to the annual report presented by the CIAA, most corruption complaints were related to local governments in the last fiscal year 2019-20. “Of the total complaints filed at the CIAA, some 26.87 per cent are related to irregularities at the local level, while some 16.95 per cent cases are related to the education sector followed by 8.34 per cent in land administration, some 4.6 per cent in forest and environment and 3.98 per cent in health and population. “Likewise, some 8.53 per cent cases registered in the last fiscal year were related to fake credentials and 7.61 per cent to acquiring property illegally.”
Though the commission claimed that it has registered a record cases in the last fiscal year, most of them are petty corruptions. The incumbent cabinet ministers have been allegedly involved in the large corruption cases, and the parliamentary committees are also investigating the charges, but the CIAA has not been interested to investigate them, the lawmakers also blamed.
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