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Nepal's anti-graft body charges 21 in airport corruption case
The airport project in the major tourism hub of Pokhara, which opened in 2023, inflated cost estimates by around $75 million, says report
- PUBLISHED: Mon 23 Mar 2026, 2:11 PM
- By:
- AFP
Nepal's anti-graft commission has filed charges against 21 people, including two Chinese citizens, in a case alleging multi-million-dollar corruption in a major airport construction project, officials said Monday.
The charges are the latest against officials involved in the China-backed Pokhara airport project, after charges were filed against 55 people in December 2025, including five former ministers, taking the total number charged to at least 76.
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The airport project in the major tourism hub of Pokhara, which opened in 2023, inflated cost estimates by around $75 million, according to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
The charges, submitted on Sunday, come after the election this month of a new parliament, after youth-led anti-corruption protesters in September 2025 overthrew the government and set parliament on fire.
The CIAA released documents on Sunday that detailed how the procurement process for hiring a consultant was made with "malicious intent", and done without official approval.
"From our investigation, we have found that they embezzled around $3.08 million," CIAA spokesperson Suresh Neupane told AFP.
Those named include a former tourism secretary, three former Director Generals of Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN), and two Chinese citizens.
Nepal on March 5 elected a new 275-seat lower house of parliament, with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) winning a commanding mandate.
The RSP capitalised on mass support in the wake of September protests, sparked by a government ban on social media but later morphed into nationwide fury over economic hardship and growing anger over corruption.
The World Bank says a "staggering" 82 percent of Nepal's workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at just $1,447 in 2024.
Before the uprising, Nepal was ranked 107 out of 180 on Transparency International's corruption perceptions index.