Ex-Nepal ministers, Chinese firm charged with graft in Pokhara airport case

Former Nepali ministers, officials and a Chinese company were charged with corruption over financial irregularities during the construction of an international airport.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed on Sunday cases against 55 people and the China CAMC Engineering Company Limited, one of the biggest such cases in the Himalayan nation, accusing them of inflating construction expenses by more than $74 million. It remains unclear when the hearing will begin.

Two officials of the Chinese company have been named in the charges filed at the Special Court in Kathmandu, which handles corruption cases related to government dealings.

The bidding agreed on with the government in 2012 was set at $169.6 million, but Nepali officials increased the amount to a little over $244 million "in collusion with the Chinese company," the commission said.

The airport, at the resort city of Pokhara, 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu, was built with a loan from China Exim Bank. It was expected to draw foreign tourists to the picturesque city, the starting point of many trekking routes in Nepal. However, it failed to attract international flights since operations began in 2023, according to local reports.

Court cases in Nepal can take months if not years to be resolved.

Corruption is widespread in the South Asian country. In September, massive demonstrations against corruption led by youth, which left dozens killed, forced the government to step down and an interim administration was installed.

General elections are expected in March.