CIAA chief seeks legal reforms on Cabinet decisions
Summary
CIAA Chief Commissioner Prem Kumar Rai has urged Parliament to amend laws that limit investigations into Cabinet policy decisions, saying the current provisions create legal ambiguity. Lawmakers questioned him over alleged executive pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office in a passport procurement case, intensifying concerns about interference in the anti-graft body.
Key Points
- Prem Kumar Rai told a parliamentary committee that Section 4 of the CIAA Act prevents action on Cabinet policy decisions and should be clarified through legal reform.
- Lawmakers accused the executive branch of pressuring CIAA officials in a passport procurement case and questioned the commission’s independence.
- Rai said Prime Minister Balendra Shah had asked the CIAA to expedite the case, which was then registered and prosecuted.
- Several lawmakers warned that the CIAA’s dignity and constitutional independence were being undermined by political influence.
