Record graft case filed over China-funded Pokhara airport
Summary
Nepal’s anti-graft body filed its largest corruption case involving 55 individuals and a company over irregularities in the China-funded $215.96 million Pokhara international airport project, citing inflated costs and financial losses.
Key Points
- Nepal’s anti-corruption commission filed a graft case against 55 individuals and a company over irregularities in the Pokhara airport project.
- The case involves a financial loss of Rs8.36 billion due to inflated costs and malicious revisions in the airport construction contract.
- The China-funded Pokhara International Airport began operation in January 2023 but has had no scheduled international passenger flights.
- The scandal highlights deep-rooted corruption in Nepal's tourism and civil aviation sectors, impacting major economic drivers.
