KATHMANDU: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has summoned Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah to clarify expenses from his trip to the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in France.

The summons follows a complaint and concerns raised by the Office of the Auditor General, which flagged irregularities in the expenditure.

According to the Auditor General’s report, over Rs 2.25 million was spent on the trip, paid through multiple vouchers under Shah’s name and those of his two aides—Sunil Lamsal and Kumar Byanjankar.

The audit questioned the repeated payments under different vouchers for the same event and highlighted violations of foreign travel guidelines for local level officials.

The report also noted that proper nomination procedures were not followed.

Shah’s aides have already appeared before the CIAA for questioning, but the mayor himself has yet to respond or attend.

During the trip, Shah participated in Cannes red-carpet events, met festival organizers, and visited media facilities.

A reception was also hosted in his honor before he returned on May 20, 2024.

Amid growing scrutiny, Shah’s office has remained silent. The mayor has been inactive on social media in recent weeks, coinciding with reports of internal disputes involving Deputy Mayor Sunita Dangol, Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain, and several ward chairpersons.