Suspended Chief Secretary Aryal acquitted in corruption case

The Special Court has acquitted the suspended Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal on Wednesday.

A division bench of Chairperson of the Special Court Justice Tek Narayan Kunwar and Justices Khushi Prasad Tharu and Ritendra Thapa issued the verdict giving a clean chit to the Chief Secretary Aryal against the case filed by Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), claiming Aryal's involvement on printing of stickers of excise duty.

"The argument of malafide intention and collusion, thereby incurring a loss to the government but making individual profit with a decision on behalf of the Secretary at Ministry of Information and Communications in the absence of precedent and bylaw, was not established with proof," the verdict stated.

Similarly, the budget was allocated via the 'LMBS' for the National Security Printing Center, the Court said.

"As the defendants were acting in a good intention for the enforcement of a project of the national need and significance, the accusation on them of having a malafide intention to cause loss to Nepal government's property and making money for individual benefit failed to be verified and proved," the Justices reiterated in the verdict.

Also in the list to be acquitted together with Chief Secretary Dr Baikuntha Aryal are consultant at Security Printing Center, Shakti Shrestha; account officer Bishnu Gautam; section officer Hari Ballav Ghimire; Prince Cell Pvt, and its Director Keshav Sharma.

However, the Court has found Executive Director of the Center, Bikal Paudel, and Director Saphal Shrestha guilty. The Special Court would decide the punishment later.

The CIAA had filed a case against 11 persons and a company claiming recovery of Rs 386 million from them. The case was being heard for five consecutive days.