Corruption watchdog Transparency International (TI) has ranked Nepal as
121st corrupt country scoring 2.7 points among 180 countries surveyed
worldwide in its new report. TI had ranked Nepal in the 131 position with
2.5 points last year.
Despite improvement in tackling corruption Nepal still remains as a
'corrupt nation' as a country scoring below 5 points indicates serious
corruption problem in the pubic sector. Only Bhutan scored points above 5
in south Asia.
The TI raised concern over poor action against corruption, instead
rewarding those having accused of corruption in Nepal. 'Ex-ministers, such
as Chrinjibi Wagle and Govinda Raj Joshi, who both have cases pending in
the courts, have nonetheless been inducted into the legislature as
parliamentarians," the report said.
It further adds, "Serial bank defaulters who willfully fail to pay back
loans face no punitive action, although the Amatya Group was forced to pay
back more than US$44 million," adding, "Warrants to arrest embezzlers and
fraudsters are not acted upon."
TI said allegedly corrupt influential people are freed by the Special
Court on flimsy pretexts. It is a situation in which the rule of law has
been compromised and impunity prevails.
TI has also raised concern over prevailing corruption in Melamchi project,
which could not complete in the last one and half decade. nepalnews.com ia
Sep 23 08
