Informed sources at the CIAA said Oli and Deuba had called Commissioner Keshav Baral and Acting Secretary Prem Kumar Rai, among other investigators, and asked them to release those arrested. They are also said to be using trusted men in their parties to convey the message to CIAA Chief Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki’s aides.

“After the MBBS question paper leak scam surfaced, our commissioners and secretary are getting frequent phone calls from senior politicians like Oli and Deuba,” a highly-placed source told the Post. As the anti-graft body chief refuges to take such calls, politicians are giving a torrid time to commissioner, secretary and other officials.

“Except for Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and UML leader Madhav Nepal almost all senior politicians are trying to influence the case. We have to work under extreme pressure,” said a CIAA official.

The two leaders, according to the sources, are using their political influence since the CIAA arrested Devi Pandey for their involvement in leaking the MBBS entrance exam question papers.

Ramesh Silwal, the Chief Executive Officer and prime stakeholder of the college, is considered close to UML Chairman Oli since his early political days. Silwal reportedly met Oli soon after the CIAA took the lead off the scam in a raid on December 6. Silwal is a former Vice-chairman of Youth Association Nepal, the youth wing of the CPN-UML. He was nominated as general secretary of Cricket Association of Nepal recently on the behest of Oli. He also heads the Madan Bhandari Sports Academy which is under Madan Bhandari Foundation led by UML Vice-chair Bidhya Bhandari. Silwal is said to be a prominent financial backer of Oli and the UML.

Pandey, an Arghakhachi native, was a leader of Congress’ student wing Nepal Student Union before being involved in Goldengate College as one of its founders. Despite being away from active politics, he is said to have close ties with Congress leaders, mainly from the Deuba camp.

The CIAA has taken Khechar Sapkota, a former NSU leader, and Dr Prabhat Kumar Kushahawa into custody. Besides, the anti-graft body has put owners of eight other colleges—selected as MBBS entrance exam centre by the Ministry of Education—under close surveillance.

The owners, who have been restricted to leave the country, can be arrested if call details and statements of the arrestees establish their involvement. A preliminary CIAA investigation suggests a widespread racket has been active in question paper leaks for the last ten years, selling the leaked papers to candidates between 1-2 million rupees.

But the CIAA officials maintain they are averse to political pressure and will carry on with the investigation. “I want to assure that the racket will be exposed and everyone involved in this case will be dragged to the Special Court,” CIAA Chief Karki said, while addressing a function to mark International Anti-corruption Day on December 9. However, aides to Oli and Deuba both brushed off the CIAA claim.

Deuba’s personal assistant Bhanu Deuba said the senior NC leader will never support such activities. He also claimed neither Pandey nor Sapkota were associated with the NSU.