The Six Verified Cases — CIAA & Court Records Only
छ प्रमाणित मुद्दाहरू — केवल CIAA र अदालती अभिलेख
VerifiedCASE
Claimed State Loss: Rs. 8,367,355,297.50 (USD $74,343,450)
NC Leader Accused: Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat (NC, Finance Minister 2014–17)
Other Ministers Accused: Post Bahadur Bogati (Maoist, deceased — wife named), Ram Kumar Shrestha, Bhim Prasad Acharya (UML), Dipak Chandra Amatya
Also Accused: 10 former Secretaries incl. Sushil Ghimire, Madhu Marasini, Suman Sharma; Former CAAN DGs Tri Ratna Maharjan, Ratish Chandra Lal Suman; Sitting CAAN DG Pradeep Adhikari; Former Supreme Court Registrar Ram Krishna Timilsena
Charges Under: Section 8(1) Prevention of Corruption Act 2002 — seeking imprisonment, fines, recovery
MENT
Mechanism of Loss: Original approved cost USD $145M → Revised to USD $240.4M → Difference = $74.3M
Consultant Budget: Cut from USD $2.8M to $10,000 — enabling CAMC to work unsupervised
Mahat's Role: Chaired Ministry of Finance meeting on Kartik 3, 2071 (Oct 2014) approving the inflated cost. Signed loan agreement March 21, 2016.
March 2026 Update: Special Court ordered trial on general date for 5 officials incl. former secretary Madhu Marasini (Jan 2026)
Pokhara Airport Scandal — NC Finance Minister Mahat Among 55 in Nepal's Largest-Ever Graft Case
पोखरा विमानस्थल घोटाला — NC अर्थमन्त्री महत समेत ५५ जनाविरुद्ध नेपालकै सबैभन्दा ठूलो मुद्दा
= USD $74.3 Million
CIAA Charge-Sheet
On December 7, 2025, CIAA filed one of the largest corruption cases in Nepal's history at the Special Court — 55 individuals and Chinese contractor China CAMC Engineering Co. Ltd over the Pokhara Regional International Airport project, built using a USD $216 million Chinese Exim Bank loan.
The NC angle: Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, NC's senior economist and Finance Minister, chaired the key October 2014 meeting that agreed to accept CAMC's inflated $240M cost estimate — nearly $75M above the approved $145M. He then signed the loan agreement on March 21, 2016. CIAA alleges this decision was the pivotal act enabling the entire corruption chain.
The mechanism: CAMC forced acceptance of inflated estimates. The consultant oversight budget was slashed from $2.8M to just $10,000, allowing CAMC to work unsupervised. The airport opened December 2022 but has operated barely any international flights.
A Parliamentary Public Accounts Subcommittee report in early 2025 found Rs. 10+ billion in total irregularities and referred it to CIAA. OCCRP called the filing "a historic step."
March 2026 Update
Special Court ordered trial on general dates for five officials including former Finance Ministry Joint Secretary Madhu Marasini (Jan 2026). Main ministers' trial hearings continuing. CIAA also confirmed separate investigations into tax exemptions, hill-cutting, and consultant appointments remain ongoing.
CASE
Also Investigated: Arzoo Rana Deuba (NC MP, wife of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba)
Victims: 875 Nepali citizens — paid Rs. 150,000–500,000 each
Total Defrauded: Rs. 288,170,000
Charges: Treason (additional penalty for public officials) · Organised Crime · Fraud · Document Forgery
Mechanism: Khand allegedly falsified 2019 Cabinet taskforce report to add 875 Nepalis to Bhutanese refugee list
ORDER
Remanded to jail: June 16, 2023 (District Court Judge Neupane)
Patan High Court: Divided bench — Judge Pandey (release) vs Judge Kharel (retain)
Resolution: Third judge Krishnaram Koirala upheld Pandey — Rs. 3M bail
Released: December 15, 2023 from Central Jail
NC Party Action: While in jail, NC Lumbini Province Committee HONORED Khand at public ceremony. NC President Deuba publicly stated "accusation not confirmed by court."
March 2026: Final hearing yet to begin. 10 of 30 accused still absconding.
Bhutanese Refugee Scam — NC Home Minister Arrested, Released on Bail, Then Honored by His Own Party
भुटानी शरणार्थी घोटाला — NC गृहमन्त्री गिरफ्तार, धरौटीमा रिहा, फिर आफ्नै पार्टीद्वारा सम्मानित
Rs. 288,170,000 Total
Kathmandu District Court
A political-bureaucratic syndicate defrauded 875 Nepali citizens of Rs. 288 million by selling fake Bhutanese refugee documents promising US resettlement. NC Home Minister Khand is accused of falsifying a 2019 official Cabinet report — adding 875 Nepalis to the legitimate refugee list.
Charges carry 3–20 years imprisonment. The cross-party comparison is stark: CPN-UML immediately suspended its accused leader Rayamajhi; NC kept Khand as a Central Working Committee member. NC President Deuba publicly defended him at every stage.
The most damning documented fact: while Khand was in prison (June–December 2023), the NC Lumbini Province Working Committee held a public ceremony honoring him — presenting a letter of honor via his brother. The ceremony was attended by senior NC officials. This is confirmed by myRepublica (December 3, 2023).
NC MP Arzoo Rana Deuba (wife of NC President Deuba) was also brought under investigation. Per The Diplomat (May 2023): she is "widely believed to wield power behind the scenes."
March 2026 Update
Final hearing not yet begun. 10 of 30 accused remain absconding. Attorney General's office criticised for not pursuing appeal against Khand's bail. Case expected to continue through 2026.
2025
Total Accused: 16 individuals + 2 companies
Claimed Loss: Rs. 3.21 Billion
Project: Nepal Telecommunications Authority — Teramocs system procurement
Charges: Bid manipulation, illegal unilateral decisions, deliberate state loss
Parliament Action: Basnet suspended from Parliament May 15, 2025 (same day as CIAA filing)
SUSP.
Bail: Rs. 2.5 million bail granted June 2025
Case Status: Ongoing at Special Court
Himalayan Times Verdict: "The most prominent corruption prosecution of the year" — 2025 Year in Review
March 2026: Case continues at Special Court. Basnet remains suspended from Parliament.
Teramocs Telecom Procurement Scam — NC Parliamentarian Basnet Suspended
NTA Teramocs System
CIAA 2025
CIAA filed a Rs. 3.21 billion corruption case against 16 individuals and 2 companies over the Nepal Telecommunications Authority's procurement of the Teramocs monitoring system. NC Central Committee member and sitting MP Mohan Bahadur Basnet was accused of making unilateral decisions without legal basis, manipulating bids, and causing deliberate state loss.
In a rare show of consequence, Parliament suspended Basnet on the same day CIAA filed the case — May 15, 2025. He was subsequently released on Rs. 2.5 million bail in June 2025. The Himalayan Times called it the most prominent corruption prosecution of 2025's first half.
CASE
Family Also Named: Wife Mandira Chalise, Sons Sagar & Sanjiv Chalise, Daughter-in-law Pramila Pokhrel
Period Investigated: May 22, 2017 (assumed office as mayor) to July 16, 2022 (end of term)
Lawful Income (family): Rs. 48.83 million
Total Expenditure + Assets: Rs. 85.68 million
Unexplained Gap: Rs. 36.84 million — no legitimate source found
CIAA Finding: Chalise submitted post-dated loan documents to mislead investigators — failed
ION
Failed Defence: Chalise's investigators presented loan documents — CIAA concluded they were created after the fact to mislead the investigation
Failed Property Declaration: Chalise did not submit property declaration for FY 2077/78 as required — CIAA instructed Gokarneshwar Municipality to levy fine
Charges Under: Section 20(1) Prevention of Corruption Act + Section 24 (concealment) + confiscation of all illegally acquired family assets
The case was filed when Chalise was being positioned as an NC candidate — raising accountability questions about pre-election vetting.
Santosh Chalise Disproportionate Assets — NC MP and Finance Committee Chair Charged with Rs.36.84M Illegal Wealth
Legitimate Source Found
5-Year Mayor Term
On December 14, 2025, CIAA charged NC's Santosh Chalise — former Mayor of Gokarneshwar Municipality, former MP from Kathmandu-3, and most recently Chair of Parliament's Finance Committee — with corruption and money laundering.
The CIAA's investigation found that during Chalise's mayoral term (2017–2022), his family's documented lawful income was Rs. 48.83 million, but their total spending, assets, and investments reached Rs. 85.68 million — a gap of Rs. 36.84 million with no legitimate explanation.
When confronted, Chalise submitted loan documents to CIAA investigators — but the commission determined these were fabricated after the investigation began. His family (wife, two sons, daughter-in-law) have been named as defendants for asset confiscation.
Perhaps most critically: Chalise had been nominated as NC's sole candidate for the Kathmandu-3 by-election on March 5, 2026 — just 80 days after the CIAA case was filed. The NC had recommended him knowing the investigation was underway.
Further Verified Cases — Court Verdicts & Investigations
थप प्रमाणित मुद्दाहरू
Court RecordsForeign Policy (July 3, 2023) directly documented: "Khand remains on the Nepali Congress's Central Working Committee."