Kathmandu, March 10
The Special Court slapped a nine-year jail sentence on former minister Badri Prasad Neupane whereas it imposed a fine of Rs 12 million on sitting Nepali Congress lawmaker Tek Bahadur Gurung in connection with a corruption case.
While the court convicted two former ministers–Gurung and Neupane–among nine of corruption last week, the court decided the sentences on Thursday.
Besides serving the jail sentence, Neupane is also ordered to pay a fine of Rs 24 million.
Of nine convicts, seven have been given jail sentences and fines whereas two have been fined only, informs the Special Court deputy registrar Narad Prasad Bhattarai.
Gurung is a sitting House of Representatives member representing the Manang district. However, the Nepali Congress leader was already suspended as he faced a corruption charge while elected.
The court convicted them of irregularities in a rental agreement for using the land in Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu belonging to the Social Welfare Council. Whereas Gurung was convicted as a tenant, Neupane had played the role in the misappropriation as the chairperson of the council when he was the minister for social welfare.
Of the 14 people indicted by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), nine were convicted and five acquitted.
