Everything You Need to Know About Nepal’s Passport Procurement Scandal
Summary
Nepal's Department of Passports is embroiled in a scandal involving a Rs 7.66 billion e-passport procurement contract awarded to German firms, leading to the arrest of the department's Director General on corruption charges.
Key Points
- The Department of Passports in Nepal awarded a Rs 7.66 billion e-passport contract to two German companies despite technical deficiencies in one bidder's proposal.
- Director General Tirtha Raj Aryal and others were arrested by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in connection with irregularities in the procurement.
- The procurement process violated Nepal's Public Procurement Act by allowing bids that failed technical compliance to advance.
- Legal challenges were filed against the procurement contract, but the Supreme Court allowed the process to continue.
