KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has released its annual review for the fiscal year 2024/25, outlining its performance in complaint handling, investigation, prosecution, and institutional reforms.

According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Poudel, the Commission processed a total of 37,026 complaints during the fiscal year. This includes 28,597 new complaints received through various channels and 8,429 cases carried over from the previous year.

Of the total complaints, 12,475 were related to the federal government, 4,618 to provincial governments, and the largest share, 19,933, concerned local-level bodies.

The CIAA noted that the most complaints were received through its website (10,245 cases), followed by written submissions (10,180), emails (8,488), and postal services (5,555).

Other sources such as telephone, Viber, Facebook, mobile apps, newspapers, the National Vigilance Center, and Hello Government contributed 2,558 complaints.

The Commission resolved 29,703 cases, or 80.22% of the total, through inquiry and investigation.

Another 6,715 complaints were forwarded to relevant agencies for necessary action, while 586 suggestions were submitted for policy-level implementation.

7,300 complaints have been carried forward to the current fiscal year.

In FY 2024/25, the CIAA held 81 meetings and made 1,411 decisions, including the filing of 137 cases at the Special Court. These charge sheets involved 753 individuals as defendants and included financial claims amounting to Rs 5.97 billion.

Of the 137 cases, 37 were related to bribery, 36 to illegal financial gains or losses, 27 to submission of fake educational certificates, 23 to damage or loss to public property, eight to illicit wealth accumulation, two to money laundering, and four fell under other categories.

In 22 red-handed operations, 33 individuals were arrested and Rs 5.51 million recovered. During the fiscal year, 395 decisions were issued by the Special Court on CIAA cases, including 276 cases from previous years and 119 new cases from 2024/25.

Of the 119 new decisions, 67.23% resulted in guilty verdicts. The CIAA also filed 251 appeals to the Supreme Court based on the full-text decisions from the Special Court, and five cases were reviewed.

During the review program, the CIAA’s leadership—including the Chief Commissioner, other Commissioners, and the Secretary—discussed the challenges facing the institution and emphasized the need for legal and policy reforms.

They stated that the agency’s future direction aligns with the Fifth Strategic Plan, which prioritizes more effective complaint handling, transparent investigations, and result-oriented prosecutions as part of its broader mission to curb corruption in Nepal.