KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption charge-sheet at the Special Court in Kathmandu against seven individuals, including former Madhesh Province Finance Minister Shailendra Prasad Sah, former Finance Secretary Gajendra Kumar Thakur, and former Bagmati Municipality Mayor Bharat Kumar Thapa.

The anti-graft body is seeking to recover over Rs 390 million in damages regarding financial irregularities in the construction of ‘Bharat Lake’ (Bagmati Tourism Park and Resort) in Sarlahi.

According to CIAA officials, investigations revealed that public funds were deliberately embezzled during the second phase of the project in Bagmati Municipality-11 by adding unapproved, unneeded structures outside the master detailed project report (DPR).

Furthermore, authorities rigged the procurement process by inserting restrictive tender criteria to eliminate competition and favor the joint venture contractor Bkoi/Dhulikhel JV, causing severe financial losses to the public exchequer.