Investigation against NAC Chairman by Tourism Ministry

According to the news published by Kantipur Dainik on Friday, Yuvraj Adhikari, Executive Chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation, along with former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal pressured the investigation on NAC to be stopped. The news revealed that Adhikari has given financial inducement to the chairman of the committee formed to investigate him on charges of financial embezzlement.

The Cabinet constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Tourism Secretary Maheshwar Neupane to investigate the 52 allegations against Adhikari.

The news disclosed that committee chairman Neupane was given financial inducements and was pressured to stop the investigation report through former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal. An inquiry and investigation committee was formed a month ago under the chairmanship of Neupane.

"Yuvraj used to offer financial incentives to not submit the investigation report to the minister," Neupane said.

He said that former Prime Minister Khanal called and pressured him to protect the executive chairman Adhikari. "Why did you have to accept what the Tourism Minister said when you are retiring as a secretary?" Neupane said, quoting Khanal's statement, "Stop the study report you are doing on Yuvraj while you are going to retire as a secretary."

A confidential report received by Kantipur has concluded that Adhikari is a morally and financially corrupt person, detailing his failure to lead a corporation that is in debt of Rs 50 billion after buying four aircraft.

The report stated that Adhikari lacks the high professional character and demeanor appropriate to the position of an official holding a public position like the Executive Chairman of Nepal Airlines Corporation.

The investigation committee has already submitted the report to Tourism Minister Jeevan Ram Shrestha on Monday.

According to his secretariat, the Minister of Tourism is studying the report. “Jhalnath Khanal also called the Minister of Tourism and pressured him to protect Yuvraj Adhikari," said a source close to the minister, In response, Minister Shrestha told Khanal that he will do what should be done according to the rules.

The investigative report submitted to the Minister of Tourism states that the official provided secret documents to Deepak Bhatt's partner Abhishek Khati, the middleman in the contract, for the repair of an engine of a narrowbody grounded in Doha before the contract of Rs. 450 million. In agreement with the employees of Summit Air, the travel agency was set up and leased.

It has been concluded that the corporation's regular contract documents worth crores of rupees were given to the contractor in breach of confidentiality. The public procurement act was not followed when the online system for selling tickets was given to the global distribution system provider company, and the arrears of the charter flights made by the corporation during the time of COVID-19 were not recovered.

Similarly, a person holding a public position such as the executive chairman of the corporation asked the contractor for alcohol, sent notices to the contractor to deposit funds in the accounts in Australia and China, and forced those who took economy class tickets to be upgraded to business class. The report pointed out that the corporation had suffered losses.

The executive chairman Adhikari has done many things against official conduct, refused to pay the corporation's debt, took the jumbo team to Saudi Arabia without justification to cause financial loss to the corporation, and did not follow the institutional instructions given by the ministry, and mentally tortured employees.

The report further disclosed that postings and transfers were made contrary to the various regulations and provisions of the corporation, security guards were appointed beyond the time limit, and proposals were prepared so that only certain companies could participate in the tender for baggage and cargo handling. "Overall, the executive chairman's leadership ability, managerial skills, and the ability to demonstrate high conduct appropriate to the position are lacking," the summary of the report said.

The Council of Ministers appointed Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Baburam Subedi and Tribhuvan International Airport General Manager Premnath Thakur as member secretaries to the committee chaired by Tourism Secretary Neupane and mandated to investigate and submit a report on 10 issues. The inquiry committee took a written reply from the corporation and a statement from the executive chairman of the corporation.