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Verdict on graft case against ex-minister Joshi likely today
Added At: 2012-07-24 10:59 PM
Last Updated At: 2012-07-24 10:59 PM
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: The Special Court is likely to issue its verdict on a corruption case against former minister and leader of Nepali Congress Govinda Raj Joshi tomorrow.
“There is high chance that the judgment will be pronounced tomorrow as judges have been analysing the case as per the previous schedule,” Dhir Bahadur Chand, the registrar said.
The Supreme Court had returned the case to Special Court on January 8 directing it to evaluate its previous judgment which had acquitted him in 2006. The apex court said the judgment was improper and a thorough analysis was needed.
Directing the Special Court to evaluate whether Joshi’s income was beyond the justified sources of income by analysing the merit of the case, the SC had said that the 2006 decision of the Special Court went against Section 29 of the Corruption Prevention Act, 1991.
Observing that the provision of the 1991 Act prohibits prosecuting anyone beyond one-year period of his or her retirement from public post, the Special Court had acquitted him in 2006. But the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed an appeal at the apex court claiming that the acquittal was wrong because prosecution on corruption case does not have any statute of limitation for prosecuting anyone in a graft charge.
On January 12, 2004, the CIAA had filed the graft case against Joshi charging him of amassing Rs 39.3 million by abusing authority when he was a minister for home and education for many years.
On the basis of the report of the Judicial Inquiry Commission on Property headed by former Justice Bhairav Prasad Lamsal, the CIAA had filed the case against Joshi for accumulating wealth beyond his legitimate sources of income.