Miscellaneous
SC stays probe into Social Science Baha
The Supreme Court has asked the Commission for Investigation and Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the Lalitpur District Administration Office (DAO) to halt the investigation into the alleged corruption charges against the Social Science Baha, a non-profit organisation involved in research in the social sciences in Nepal.The Supreme Court has asked the Commission for Investigation and Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the Lalitpur District Administration Office (DAO) to halt the investigation into the alleged corruption charges against the Social Science Baha, a non-profit organisation involved in research in the social sciences in Nepal.
A joint bench of Justices Om Prakash Mishra and Hari Krishna Karki issued the order on Sunday. Under the instruction from the CIAA, the Lalitpur DAO had on September 22 frozen the budget of the organisation over alleged irregularities.
The apex court had issued a show cause notice to both the government bodies last week. The court had summoned the defendants and the plaintiff to discuss whether a stay order is required against the direction of the Lalitpur DAO to the Social Science Baha.
The DAO had also sought the organisation’s audit reports of five years.
The Social Science Baha, however, maintains that it has been submitting audit reports and renewing its registration annually. In its statement released on September 30, the organisation had clarified that the anti-graft body had distorted facts and misrepresented the documents while charging it with irregularities.
NC’ll ruin itself if it sides with Lokman: UML secy
(Tanahun)CPN-UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai said on Monday that the ruling Nepali Congress would badly damage its reputation if it decides to support the suspended chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lokman Singh Karki.
Addressing a tea reception in Damauli, the district headquarters of Tanahun, Bhattarai said: “Whoever tries to save Lokman will end up ruining themselves.”
Urging the largest party to endorse the decision from the party’s Central Working Committee at the earliest, Bhattarai said NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba had directed Congress leaders to speak in favour of the impeachment motion.
Bhattarai advised Karki to resign before Parliament impeaches him.
Press Chautari condemns Karki’s move
Press Chautari Nepal has expressed concerns over the threats issued to its president and Rajdhani Daily News Editor Ganesh Basnet, the paper’s Editor-in-Chief Rajan Sharma, and senior reporter Tapendra Karki for a news report on suspended CIAA chief Lokman Singh Karki.
Condemning the act, the organisation said in a statement on Monday that the government should create a safe environment for gathering, dissemination and publication of news. According to the statement, a person who introduced himself as Karki had called the office of the Rajdhani Daily on Saturday to threaten the editorial staff.
Motion won’t affect coalition: Minister
Energy Minister Janardan Sharma has said the government would not topple although the impeachment proposal against Lokman Singh Karki was tabled jointly by the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and the opposition CPN-UML without involving the main coalition partner Nepali Congress.
The proposal is not meant to break up the ruling coalition, Sharma said at the Reporters’ Club in the Capital on Monday. He claimed that the impeachment motion against chief of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority Lokman Singh Karki would rather make the coalition stronger. The Maoist-Congress alliance would not break even if the UML wanted it, the minister said.
Koirala: No one can protect suspended CIAA chief
GULMI: Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has said no one can protect the suspended chief of Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authorities, Lokman Singh Karki, who faces an impeachment motion.
The NC has yet to take an official position on the motion tabled by the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN-UML. The NC will make its decision after discussing the matter in the party’s Central Working Committee and Parliamentary Party meeting, Koirala told a press conference in Gulmi on Monday.
Cross-party lawmakers to create ‘positive environment’
Cross-party lawmakers have joined hands to create a “positive environment” to endorse an impeachment motion against Lokman Singh Karki, the chief of Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). A group of lawmakers from Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) held a meeting in the Capital on Monday evening to discuss Karki’s impeachment and ways to take the process ahead in Parliament.