One Minister Down—Will Nepal Finally Crack Down on Corruption?

Following a widespread outcry over his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal, Rajkumar Gupta stepped down from his post as Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration. His resignation did not surprise many because he was asked to tender the resignation by none other than Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Gupta, in a Facebook post, claimed he was wrongly accused and described himself as a casualty of technology misuse. He said he quit to make way for an impartial investigation. Still, what truly concerned everyone was the leaked audio clip that linked him to a Rs 7.8 million bribery scandal. Lawmakers across party lines demanded action after the tape revealed a deal tied to the transfer of government employees and appointments at the Land Revenue Office and Land Commission. The audio scandal was backed up by visual proof: photographs of two bags full of cash and serial numbers of currency bundles. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) received the complaint with both pictures and the voice recording. In the audio, Gupta is alleged to have taken Rs 5.3 million to stop the transfer of a land revenue officer in Kaski, and another Rs 2.5 million to appoint someone to a powerful post in the Land Commission. It was not the first time such shady dealings were linked to the reshuffling of civil servants, but this time, the audio trail left little room for the tainted minister for undertaking political maneuvering to save himself from ignominy.