Former Tourism Secretary Among 21 Charged in Pokhara Airport Corruption Case

Kathmandu — A corruption case has been filed at the Special Court against 21 individuals, including former Tourism Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, along with two companies, over alleged irregularities in the construction of Pokhara International Airport.

According to Information Officer Yagyaraj Regmi of the Special Court, the case has been registered against a total of 23 defendants. The charge sheet seeks recovery of Rs. 461.58 million in alleged losses.

Pokhara International Airport is a national pride project built with loan assistance from China. Preparatory studies began in 2008 (2065 BS), and the project was completed in 2022 (2079 BS).

On March 21, 2016 (8 Chaitra 2072 BS), the governments of Nepal and China signed a loan agreement worth 1.37 billion yuan (approximately Rs. 22.61 billion). Of this, 355.9 million yuan was interest-free, while the remaining amount must be repaid by Nepal in installments with interest by 2035 (2092 BS).

The corruption case has been filed against 21 individuals, including former Tourism Secretary Adhikari, and two companies in connection with alleged irregularities in the project.