The Nepalese Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Sunday charged a senior engineer, a legal officer, a consultant of an Australian engineering firm, among others for forging the qualifications of a consultancy company in a detailed project report which was part of its bid for the proposed Nalsingh Gad storage hydro plant, a CIAA spokesman said.
“During the evaluation of the technical proposal for Nalsingh Gad hydropower project’s detailed project report, they (the accused) approved the financial proposal of the company that offered higher sums than other bidders,” said the spokesman Jibaraj Koirala of the state body tasked with an investigation into the corruption.
The CIAA investigation found that SMEC International, an Australian engineering company working for years in Nepal with local joint ventures, was awarded the contract over the better qualified AF Consulting, a Swish company who took part in the tender and who was also a joint venture participant in Nepal, Koirala said in the statement.
The bidder was required to carry out a detailed engineering survey and design for the plant to be located in the remote Karnali region in northwestern Nepal. However, the SMEC was awarded the contract on the basis of only a detailed construction drawing, the statement said.
“Their act is designed to hurt the Nalsingh Gad Hydro Power Project Development Committee. So the committee’s executive director, former senior engineer, former account officer, senior engineer, legal officer and the local representative of SMEC have been charged in the Special Court,” Koirala said.
The CIAA has sought a year in jail for each and 116.22 million Nepali rupees in compensation from the accused.
The $737 million project, which would displace 150 households, was estimated for completion by 2020, but the scam has cast doubt on this plan.
By Deepak Adhikari in Nepal
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr