Kathmandu. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case at the Special Court against 16 persons, including the former secretary of Lumbini Province, on the charge of embezzling money while constructing cold storage at Sammarimai Rural Municipality in Rupandehi district.

According to the CIAA, corruption was found in the construction of a cold store in Sammarimai Rural Municipality-4 of Rupandehi district in the fiscal year 2076/77 BS.

The corruption case has been filed against 16 persons, including Baikuntha Adhikari, the then secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives of Lumbini Province, accusing them of indulging in damage to public property by acting against the law.

According to the CIAA, the commission has sought imprisonment and fine as per Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059.

Former secretary Baikuntha Adhikari, then senior agriculture development officer Shreedhar Gyawali, Agriculture Extension Officer Mukesh Ramjali Nepali, Account Officer Laxman Poudel and Assistant Accountant Ajay Mishra, proprietor of consultant Mega Minds Architects and Structure Pvt Ltd Sugam Koirala, manager of Bhawani Swalamban Multipurpose Cooperatives Ashok Kumar Tiwari and then chairman Jayaram Gaderiya have been named as defendants in the case.

Late. Shyam Sundar Yadav and the late In the case of Katwaru Gosain, his wives Inarawati Yadav and Rajpati Gosain have also been charged. The CIAA has claimed that the project was directly purchased with Mega Minds Architects and Structure Pvt Ltd as a consultant without any competition against the Public Procurement Act.