Nepal charges dozens and says corruption inflated an airport’s costs by $74 million
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Article contentKATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Former Nepali ministers, officials and a Chinese company were charged with corruption over financial irregularities during the construction of an international airport.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentThe Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority filed on Sunday cases against 55 people and the China CAMC Engineering Company Limited, one of the biggest such cases in the Himalayan nation, accusing them of inflating construction expenses by more than $74 million. It remains unclear when the hearing will begin.Article contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article contentArticle contentTwo officials of the Chinese company have been named in the charges filed at the Special Court in Kathmandu, which handles corruption cases related to government dealings.Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againInterested in more newsletters? Browse here.Article contentThe bidding agreed on with the government in 2012 was set at $169.6 million, but Nepali officials increased the amount to a little over $244 million “in collusion with the Chinese company,” the commission said.Article contentThe airport, at the resort city of Pokhara, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Kathmandu, was built with a loan from China Exim Bank. It was expected to draw foreign tourists to the picturesque city, the starting point of many trekking routes in Nepal. However, it failed to attract international flights since operations began in 2023, according to local reports.Article contentCourt cases in Nepal can take months if not years to be resolved.Article contentCorruption is widespread in the South Asian country. In September, massive demonstrations against corruption led by youth, which left dozens killed, forced the government to step down and an interim administration was installed.Article contentGeneral elections are expected in March.Article contentTrending Posthaste: A market phenomenon not seen in 50 years is raising red flags at the world's central bank News David Rosenberg: 10 reasons why we're now bullish on the Canadian dollar for the first time in many years News Budget watchdog regrets calling Canada's fiscal position 'stupefying' Economy Toronto, Vancouver home prices to fall in 2026 as rest of Canada ploughs ahead, Royal LePage says News Ex-BlackBerry CEO urges Canada to shield itself from 'Trump doctrine' Economy Share this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Posthaste: A market phenomenon not seen in 50 years is raising red flags at the world's central bank News David Rosenberg: 10 reasons why we're now bullish on the Canadian dollar for the first time in many years News Budget watchdog regrets calling Canada's fiscal position 'stupefying' Economy Toronto, Vancouver home prices to fall in 2026 as rest of Canada ploughs ahead, Royal LePage says News Ex-BlackBerry CEO urges Canada to shield itself from 'Trump doctrine' Economy