Cabinet appoints Thani as new managing director of Nepal Oil Corporation

The cabinet today appointed Umesh Prasad Thani as the managing director of the state oil monopoly.

Three candidates were shortlisted for the crucial post that has remained vacant for the past two months and the cabinet approved Thani as the new MD of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC).

According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS), the selection committee has yesterday recommended Umesh Prasad Thani, Chandika Prasad Bhatta and Jeevan Prakash Sitaula for the post of NOC chief to the cabinet.

In response to the public call two months ago, some 17 individuals had applied for the vacant position.

Thani, who is considered close to the Nepali Congress, has worked as a member of the board of directors of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) earlier.

Sitaula is a former director general of the Department of Industry, whereas Bhatta, who led NOC before Gopal Bahadur Khadka, is the chief of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Authority at present.

NOC former MD Khadka released on bail of Rs 20.5 million

The Special Court today ordered release of former managing director (MD) of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Gopal Bahadur Khadka after he posted a bail amount of Rs 20.5 million.
Khadka was presented to the Special Court today, where a bench of Special Court Chairman Baburam Regmi, and members Pramod Kumar Shrestha and Narayan Prasad Pokharel demanded the bail amount of Rs 20.5 million.
Khadka faces corruption allegations during his career in government services in different offices in different capacities. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had, on January 7, filed a corruption case at the Special Court against Khadka on the charge of amassing property worth Rs 186.6 million illegally.
The CIAA investigation has revealed that Khadka amassed Rs 86.46 million since March 15, 2013. But his expenses and investment was far more than what he legally earned in these years. He had spent and invested Rs 273.07 million in five years since 2013. Deducting his legal earning from the total amount that he spent and invested, Khadka has failed to show the source of Rs 186.6 million, according to CIAA investigation.
The anti-graft body has – after investigation – sought penalty of up to five years of imprisonment, fine equivalent to illegally earned property, and confiscation of illegally earned property. He had misused his power and close relations with CIAA former chief Lok Man Singh Karki to amass the wealth and invested in his own name and others to whitewash the money earned from alleged corruption.