Intermediaries Defraud State Treasury Through E-Passport Procurement Variations
Summary
Intermediary groups have defrauded the Nepalese state treasury by inflating costs in the procurement of electronic passports through variation orders, evading competition and transferring commissions offshore.
Key Points
- Intermediaries have defrauded the Nepalese state treasury through manipulation of e-passport procurement variation orders.
- The French company IDEMIA won the initial contract but later variation orders inflated passport costs above market rates.
- Intermediaries used variation orders to avoid new competitive tenders and impose additional financial burdens exceeding 1.50 billion rupees.
- Illegal commissions are funneled offshore via companies in Nepal, Singapore, and Dubai, involving a network led by Siddharth Pandey's group.
