Kathmandu- Among the four newly appointed ministers in Prime Minister Sushila Karki’s cabinet, Shraddha Shrestha has been assigned the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens. Following her appointment, questions circulated on social media and news platforms regarding her alleged involvement in a corruption case at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) over a decade ago.
The case, filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in the Special Court, primarily targeted the then-executive chief Subash Niraula and other senior officials of the NTB. Shraddha Shrestha was named in the case for alleged irregularities in financial transactions.
At the time, she was accused of being involved in misappropriation of funds through certain checks issued in her name. However, during the investigation, she consistently stated that she had no personal involvement in any wrongdoing. She was on official duty abroad for NTB work when some checks were issued in her name, and she clarified that she did not request or benefit from these payments.
In her official statement to the Special Court, Shrestha said:
“Some amounts from checks issued in my name were deposited in my account, but a total of approximately NPR 1.15 million was not. I am not responsible for where or how these funds were spent. Any endorsements on the back of the checks are not mine. From March 13 to 26, 2014, I was traveling in Asia on NTB-assigned work. I did not request payments such as NPR 310,000 for the Regional Tourism Fair; I do not know why these checks were issued in my name. Only NPR 61,034 under General Voucher 163 for Dashain advances is legitimately under my name; all other amounts are the responsibility of other office heads. I have no knowledge of the NPR 125,000 mentioned in PV279 and have not taken it.”
Court Proceedings and Outcome:
Because Shrestha and several other NTB employees cooperated fully with the investigation, the CIAA decided not to prosecute them but to present them as witnesses in the case. The Special Court records confirmed that the irregularities were due to administrative errors or misuse of employee names by the then-executive chief Niraula.
Ultimately, the Special Court, led by Judge Baburam Regmi, ruled on February 22, 2018 (10 Falgun 2074 BS) that:
“The amounts mentioned in the checks issued in the names of employees Shraddha Shrestha and Susmita Dahal had already been settled under the direction of the CIAA. Therefore, it cannot be considered misappropriation or corruption.”
This verdict legally cleared Shraddha Shrestha of all charges.
Current Status:
The case involved other senior officials, some of whom contested decisions in the Supreme Court. However, Shrestha’s name was fully cleared, and she faced no legal consequences. There is no active or pending case against her regarding this matter.
Despite social media claims following her ministerial appointment, Shraddha Shrestha is legally innocent of any corruption allegations related to the Nepal Tourism Board. The court records confirm that any previous associations with the case were administrative or procedural, and she cooperated as a witness rather than a defendant.
Investigations show administrative errors, not personal wrongdoing, linked to Shrestha’s name in NTB case
Court Proceedings and Outcome:
Because Shrestha and several other NTB employees cooperated fully with the investigation, the CIAA decided not to prosecute them but to present them as witnesses in the case. The Special Court records confirmed that the irregularities were due to administrative errors or misuse of employee names by the then-executive chief Niraula.
Ultimately, the Special Court, led by Judge Baburam Regmi, ruled on February 22, 2018 (10 Falgun 2074 BS) that:
“The amounts mentioned in the checks issued in the names of employees Shraddha Shrestha and Susmita Dahal had already been settled under the direction of the CIAA. Therefore, it cannot be considered misappropriation or corruption.”
This verdict legally cleared Shraddha Shrestha of all charges.
Current Status:
The case involved other senior officials, some of whom contested decisions in the Supreme Court. However, Shrestha’s name was fully cleared, and she faced no legal consequences. There is no active or pending case against her regarding this matter.
Despite social media claims following her ministerial appointment, Shraddha Shrestha is legally innocent of any corruption allegations related to the Nepal Tourism Board. The court records confirm that any previous associations with the case were administrative or procedural, and she cooperated as a witness rather than a defendant.
