KATHMANDU, JUL 25 -

The Special Court on Wednesday convicted former minister and Nepali Congress leader Govinda Raj Joshi on corruption charge and sentenced him to one and half years in prison.

A division bench of the Special Court led by Chairman Gauri Bahadur Karki and members Om Prakash Mishra and Kedar Prasad Chalise found Joshi guilty of amassing illegal propertiy by abusing his authority during his various stints in public post. The court has slapped him a fine of Rs 21.6 million along with the confiscation of equivalent properity.

Joshi became minister for seven times in different governments and held different portfolios, including Home, local development, water resources and education, in the 1990s. He was accused of amassing wealth disproportionate to his income while in public office.

The CIAA had filed a charge sheet against Joshi on January 12, 2004 in the Special Court. The court had given a clean chit to him on November 16, 2006. Joshi has been charged with amassing Rs 39.9 million. The CIAA charge sheet says he has accumulated money in foreign lands in the name of his son.