Kathmandu, Dec 6: The Special Court has found four individuals guilty of irregularities in the procurement of Airbus wide-body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC). Among those convicted is the corporation’s former General Manager, Sugat Ratna Kansakar.
A bench comprising Special Court Chair Tek Narayan Kunwar and members Tej Narayan Singh Rai and Ritendra Thapa delivered the verdict.
The court sentenced Kansakar to two years and nine months of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 122.59 million. However, under the Senior Citizens Act, he will receive a 50% reduction in sentences.
Shankar Prasad Adhikari, the then-Chairman of NAC’s board and Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, was sentenced to one year and nine months of imprisonment. He has been fined an equivalent of Rs 122.59 million.
Similarly, former Secretary and NAC Board Member Shishir Kumar Dhungana received a sentence of one year and six months of imprisonment. He was fined Rs 122.59 million.
Buddhisagar Lamichhane, a former Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, was also sentenced to one year and six months in prison. He faces a fine of Rs 122.59 million.
The court also found three representatives of foreign companies involved in the aircraft purchase guilty. They were each sentenced to one year and six months in prison and fined Rs 122.59 million.
Meanwhile, the court acquitted the then-Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, Jiban Bahadur Shahi, along with 27 other defendants, including two foreigners. The case had been filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), alleging corruption in the wide-body aircraft procurement process. #aircraft #corruption #nepal
