Former PM Deuba, Singh appeal at the Supreme Court against RCCC verdict
More than a month after the verdict of Royal Commission on Corruption Control (RCCC) to jail them on charge of corruption, former premier Sher Bahadur Deuba and former Minister Singh have appealed at the Supreme Court on Sunday against the controversial Commission’s verdict.
In their separate petitions, Deuba and Singh have urged the apex court to review July 26 verdict of the RCCC in which the Commission slapped them two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 90 million each ‘convicting’ them of involving in corruption while awarding contract for the construction of access road to the Melamchi Water Supply Project.
Challenging the constitutionality of the RCCC—that was constituted by King Gyanendra after the royal takeover early this year, Deuba and Singh have urged the apex court to declare the RCCC’s verdict null and void and order the government not to implement it.
They have argued that the RCCC verdict implicating them is not based on any constitutional basis and that the authority entrusted on the Commission to investigate, prosecute and hand over judgment on cases of corruption is against the principle of natural justice. They have also urged the court to declare all the activities and verdicts delivered by the Commission since its establishment null and void.
The RCCC had taken Deuba and Singh into custody some four months ago on charge of corruption in Melamchi. Both of them refused to submit their statements before the Commission challenging its legal and constitutional status. They have also dismissed the allegations leveled by the Commission against them.
A probe team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)—principal financier and coordinator of the multi-million dollar project—said last month that it did not find any evidence of irregularity while awarding contract of the Melamchi project. RCCC officials, however, said they did not recognize the ADB report and refused to entertain it in the proceedings. nepalnews.com by Aug 29 05
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