Nepal football chief steps down pending graft probe

Nepal's powerful football chief Ganesh Thapa stepped down from his post today, pending a parliamentary investigation accusing him of embezzling millions of dollars and accepting bribes during his 19-year tenure.
Thapa, a vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), is under investigation over allegations that 580 million rupees were embezzled.
He announced his plans to stand aside as president of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) at a press conference.
"I am now handing over my responsibilities... For two months," Thapa said.
ANFA's CEO Indra Man Tuladhar said that the association's treasurer Biraj Jung Shahi would also step down while an anti-graft commission investigates corruption claims involving the two men.

The allegations include an unexplained deposit of USD 115,000 into Thapa's account from a Qatari company owned by businessman Mohammed bin Hammam, himself embroiled in a bribery scandal involving the Gulf nation's bid to win hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup, a lawmaker said.

Ramhari Khatiwada, a member of Nepal's parliamentary public accounts committee, told AFP, that the committee had asked the government to investigate and suspend Thapa and Shahi.
"It was clear to us that there has been mishandling of funds and he has used his position to take money illegally," said Khatiwada.
Thapa is also a member of Nepal's parliament, nominated last August by the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, headed by his brother Kamal Thapa.