गाउँको दूरदराजदेखि काठमाडौंको सिंहदरबारसम्म

Kathmandu: Rajesh Desemeru has filed a complaint with the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), alleging that false accusations were made against him in connection with the purchase and registration of land by the Nepal Red Cross Society.

Desemeru has claimed that figures and details were later added or altered in the statement he provided at the District Administration Office, Kathmandu. He has demanded a forensic examination of the statement and an investigation into the officials and other individuals allegedly involved.

Desemeru has denied media reports claiming that he received Rs. 19.2 million in commission in connection with arranging land for the Red Cross. He has argued that the allegation would not be substantiated if the bank statements, cheques, tax payment records, transaction details and other financial documents related to the land deal were examined.

According to him, a total of Rs. 56.2785 million was paid or spent during the transaction, while he himself paid Rs. 1.5285 million in capital gains tax that was payable by the landowner. He has claimed that the remaining amount was distributed among three individuals based on a private financial understanding.

Figure Allegedly Added to Statement

Desemeru claims that while giving his statement at the Kathmandu District Administration Office, he requested that details concerning the Rs. 11 million he had given to the landowner be included. However, he alleges that he was told that the matter could not be included in the statement because it was considered a personal transaction.

He further claims that he only learned later, while giving a statement to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), that the figure of Rs. 19.2 million and the allegation that he had received it as commission had been added to his signed statement.

He has therefore asked the CIAA to obtain the original statement, draft version, signed copy, details of the official who prepared the statement, available CCTV footage and other relevant records, and conduct forensic examinations of the handwriting, ink, pages and any alterations or additions.

Questions Raised Over Role of Officials

The complaint also calls for an investigation into the roles of Ashok Pokharel, who allegedly recorded the statement at the District Administration Office, and Dipak Ghimire, who is associated with the Nepal Red Cross Society.

Desemeru has demanded an investigation into the communication and activities between Pokharel and Ghimire in connection with the matter. He has called for those responsible for allegedly manipulating the statement with the intention of implicating him to be identified and prosecuted.

The complainant has also mentioned that he saw Pokharel and Ghimire together at a hotel in Baneshwor. He has requested that the incident be treated as one aspect of the investigation and that relevant evidence be collected.

Suspicion Over Red Cross Employees

The complaint also seeks an investigation into the past roles of Nepal Red Cross employees Dipak Ghimire and Shambhu Niraula in procurement and supply-related activities.

The complainant has claimed that he received information about irregularities in the procurement of items including tents, blankets and utensils, alleged collusion with suppliers, and attempts to process payments by entering bills even before the goods had been delivered.

In particular, the complaint includes an allegation that around 4,000 sets of utensils had not been received, but an attempt was made to enter bills showing that the goods had arrived and proceed with payment.

The complainant has further alleged that after the issue was detected by the procurement section, the employee concerned was transferred elsewhere instead of facing effective disciplinary action.

He has asked the CIAA to obtain and investigate files from the relevant Red Cross departments, including procurement and accounts sections, as well as procurement agreements, bills, vouchers, store-entry records, inventory records, bank payment details and information concerning suppliers.

Questions Over Decisions of Former Leadership

The complainant has also raised questions over decisions taken by the then leadership of the Nepal Red Cross Society following the registration of applications by various individuals on May 21, 2020 (Jestha 21, 2077 B.S.).

According to him, during the tenure of then chairman Netra Timalsina, Dipak Ghimire, who had been working as a sixth-level contractual employee, was appointed to the position of Deputy Director at the eighth level after his retirement.

The complaint further alleges that Ghimire was subsequently given influential responsibilities within the organization.

Desemeru has demanded an investigation into the decision-making process, the basis and qualifications for the appointment, institutional decisions and documents relating to the responsibilities assigned to him afterward.

The complaint also seeks an investigation into whether any other individuals were involved in or assisted the alleged forgery or alteration of the statement by Ashok Pokharel, an employee of the Nepal government and the District Administration Office.

The complainant has also requested that the roles or possible involvement of former CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Dipendra Dhakal, former Central Committee Member Jagadish Bhattarai and current General Secretary Rishi Raman Khanal, among others, be brought under investigation.

Demand for Forensic Examination

Desemeru has asked the CIAA to investigate all files, decisions, meeting minutes, correspondence, land valuation documents, payment records and bank transactions related to the Red Cross land purchase and registration process.

He has also requested an investigation into the assets and bank transactions of relevant employees, their financial relationships with suppliers, and their involvement in previous procurement and supply processes.

He claims that he repeatedly corresponded with the Red Cross stating that he could not provide the land. He also claims that the Red Cross later sent him a letter requesting that the land not be sold to another party.

He has therefore demanded that all correspondence between him and the Red Cross be examined as part of the investigation.

The complainant has further asked the CIAA to investigate how the allegation that he received Rs. 19.2 million in commission became public, where the figure originated, which documents were used as the basis for publishing the reports, and whether there was any connection between the alleged addition of the figure to his statement and the subsequent publication of the allegation in the media.

Desemeru has stated that he will submit the evidence in his possession, including bank statements, cheques, tax payment documents, correspondence and documents related to his statements, to the commission.

The complaint also requests that records of previous investigations and decisions by relevant authorities, including decisions not to prosecute or previous settlements of the matter, be obtained and examined to determine their basis and whether they have any connection with the allegations that have now resurfaced.