Kathmandu, January 8
Nepal’s Supreme Court is likely to pass a verdict on a writ petition challenging the legality of the government’s decision to appoint royal rule-era Chief Secretary Lokman Singh Karki as the head of the country’s anti-corruption ombudsman, CIAA.
Karki, who was was appointed CIAA chief in May 2013, had been charged by the Rayamajhi commission to have suppressed the people’s movement. The then Cabinet had also declared him ineligible to hold any public office in the future.
According to Advocate Omprakash Aryal, who filed the petition demanding that the appointment be deemed illegal, a bench of justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, Ananda Mohan Bhatarai, and Anil Kumar Sinha has heard arguments from the petitioner and the defendants.
Along with the case, the bench will also deliver a verdict on a contempt of court litigation against Karki for defying court orders.
The Supreme Court (SC) reopened Karki’s appointment case in September last year.
A full bench of Chief Justice Sushila Karki and Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha granted permission for reviewing the SC’s earlier verdict considering two major premises regarding Karki’s appointment: his tenure in government service and constitutional provision about his moral character to head the constitutional body.
Advocate Om Prakash Aryal had moved apex court after Karki’s appointment, claiming that it was unconstitutional. A division bench of Justices Gopal Parajuli and Om Prakash Mishra had on September 24, 2014 quashed the petition.
Meanwhile, an impeachment motion has been registered in Parliament against Karki. However, a controversy about the government’s bid to amend the constitution to address the demands of the Madheshi Morcha has overshadowed the motion as the opposition disrupts House proceedings terming the bill ‘anti-national.’
