Gaurav Pokharel
Kathmandu, June 18: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba for questioning in connection with the passport procurement contract case.
The anti-graft body issued a notice on Wednesday, serving it at her residence in Budhanilkantha and directing her to appear within three days.
A CIAA team reached the Deuba residence on Wednesday and formally pasted the notice, stating that her presence was required to record her statement over allegations of corruption in the case.
However, Deuba informed the commission via email that she is currently abroad for medical treatment and will not be able to appear within the given deadline.
She stated in her email that she is fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation, but cannot return to Nepal immediately due to health reasons, according to a CIAA official.
Deuba and her husband, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who are also under investigation on suspicion of money laundering, are believed to be in Hong Kong.
After arresting Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal and Director Sunil Kumar KC on Tuesday, the anti-graft body on Wednesday detained Manindra Raj Malla, a Nepali agent of the German company Muehlbauer ID Services GmbH, and Tulsi Prasad Acharya, the department’s former accounts officer.
According to a CIAA source, detailed investigations are underway against more than 35 individuals suspected of involvement in the passport contract irregularities. A CIAA official said that Siddhartha Thapa, the Nepali agent of another German company, Veridos, is currently absconding.
The CIAA has preliminarily claimed that irregularities involving nearly Rs8 billion may have occurred in the passport printing contract.
The CIAA suspects manipulation of procurement rules from the outset, irregular evaluation of bids, and possible collusion between officials and contractors.
The probe also focuses on alleged failures in contract execution, including delays in biometric data migration, concerns over passport quality, and risks of a supply shortage as existing stocks run low. Officials say the new system, awarded to German firms Veridos and Muehlbauer, may not deliver passports on time, while the earlier French contractor IDEMIA had been replaced. The Prime Minister’s Office has also reviewed the process, citing technical flaws, procurement concerns, and possible financial loss to the state, as investigations continue.
Sources said the complaint over passport procurement was filed at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers as well as the CIAA, prompting government attention on the issue. Following this, the Prime Minister’s Office sent a team to the Department of Passports to review the procurement process.
- Kathmandu Post