Kathmandu, Jun 5 (PTI) Nepal's former prime minister and CPN-Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal was on Thursday charged in a land misappropriation case by the anti-graft agency.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a case at a special court against Madhav Nepal and 92 others for their alleged involvement in the Patanjali land deal case.
There was no immediate reaction from Patanjali.
The CIAA alleged that Patanjali had purchased land in Kavrepalanchok district under land ceiling exemption. However, the land, acquired under government concession, was sold off with Cabinet-level approval.
During Madhav Nepal's government in 2010, the Cabinet approved the purchase of land under the land ceiling exemption. The CIAA said that land exceeding the ceiling was sold, violating the law.
This is probably the first time in Nepal that the graft body filed a case against any former prime minister.
The CIAA has sued 93 individuals, including ex-law minister Prem Bahadur Singh, ex-land reform minister Dambar Shrestha and former chief secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire.
The agency has also demanded the recovery of Nepalese Rs 185.85 million from the accused along with prison sentences and fines under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (2002), The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.
Madhav Nepal on Thursday denied the corruption allegations against him, saying he has done nothing wrong and is prepared to face the legal process.
Talking to the media in his home district Rautahat, he alleged that Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli wanted to end his his political career by filing the case.
“I have not done anything wrong, nor do I wish to encourage any wrongdoing,” he was quoted as saying by My Republica newspaper.
“There is nothing greater than justice and nothing greater than the truth,” said Madhav Nepal, who served as prime minister from May 2009 to February 2011.
He alleged that there was a conspiracy against him and that the case was filed with the intent to end his political career.
Madhav Nepal, the sitting member of parliament, lost his parliamentary position automatically after the filing of the chargesheet.
As per Nepal's law, all public servants charged with corruption are automatically suspended until the case is fully resolved.