Ex-RCCC chief unaware about distribution of funds

January 10, 2007
2 MIN READ
A
A+
A-

Chairman of the dissolved Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) Bhakta Bahadur Koirala has said that he did not know about the distribution of Rs 4.1 million of Prime Minister’s Relief Funds by the cabinet led by Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Recording his statement before the commission formed to probe the excesses of the RCCC against democratic leaders, Koirala said, “I did not know whether it was the cabinet decision before filing a case against Deuba and other ex-ministers, but I knew that it was based on the cabinet decision only after the case was registered in the RCCC.”

He also added that it was the RCCC’s mistake to file a case on any matter of cabinet decision.

The RCCC had later given a clean chit to Deuba and the ex-ministers.

A three-member panel headed by the former Appellate Court Judge Madhav Prasad Ojha has been interrogating Koirala for the excesses of RCCC.

Koirala also reiterated that he did not order police to arrest Deuba at midnight.

Koirala also claimed that they used to take legal opinion from Judge Shambhu Khadka before taking any decision and prosecuting anyone, though he was the secretary of the RCCC.

Recording his statement before the Commission on Monday, Khadka claimed that he worked in the RCCC after the King had appointed him.

“Due to the special circumstances, I had accepted the post as I thought that the King might have talked with the Chief Justice about my appointment,” he claimed.

The dissolved RCCC detained former Prime Minister Deuba, minister Prakash Man Singh and interrogated other high ranking officials in the charge of misuse of state fund.