MoF, NRB ‘non-cooperation’ halts CIAA probe
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KATHMADNU, SEP 14 - The CIAA's investigation into polymer note scandal has come to a halt owing to non-cooperation from the Ministry of Finance and Nepal Rastra Bank.
CIAA officials said both the ministry and the central bank have not yet submitted the details of original documents that led to the signing of a contract nine years ago between NRB and the Australian note printing company— Note Printing Australia.
"We are yet to receive the required documents from the ministry and the central bank. It seems they are unwilling to give all the original documents with the intention of prolonging the case," said a senior CIAA official on condition of anonymity. He said CIAA officials have seized some documents from NRB's Thapathali-based Note Printing Department, but the documents did open the lid of secrecy. "The central bank is delaying to provide the original documents," he added.
However, NRB Spokesman Bhasker Mani Gyawali said he was unaware of the issue and that the concerned department had not informed him about the CIAA letter.
Issuing two separate letters on August 16, the CIAA had asked both the government bodies to submit the details within seven days. Following media reports that the Australian central bank's subsidiary branch, Note Printing Australia, had bribed Nepali politicians and the central bank through local agent Himalaya Pande while awarding the contract of printing 100 million of Rs 10 denomination in 2002, the CIAA took up the issue. "Now we will send our team to seize important documents from the central bank," said the CIAA official.
After the Nepal government's delay to investigate the bribe case, Christopher Wood, an official of Australian Federal Police, had handed over evidences for timely probe.
Australian national Christian Boillot, who was former sales executives at NPA, was remanded in custody there for the same case. On Monday, the Melbourne Magistrate Court remanded him for a week.
Posted on: 2011-09-15 03:43
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