Mr. Narendra Shrestha, Joint Secretary and Chief of Administration Division of Ministry of Finance, was taken into custody on 21 August 2005 on corruption charges by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority, CIAA. His wife Rita Devi Shrestha, sons Niraj Shrestha (23) and minor Nishant Shrestha (11) have also been declared accomplices of corruption and made defendants. CIAA has accordingly filed a law suit at the Appellate Court Patan.

NESOCA Nepal holds that we should respect all just laws of the country. We also hold that we should extend our every possible cooperation to CIAA in its mission to fight corruption that has become so rampant in the country. We have nothing to say about CIAA charges of corruption against Mr. Narendra Shrestha. The court will give the final verdict whether he is guilty or innocent.

But NESOCA Nepal could not agree with the CIAA action of declaring all family members of the accused Narendra Shrestha as accomplices of corruption and of making them defendants in its law suit. Rita, Niraj and Nishant do not hold any government authority to abuse and to illegally amass ‘untold wealth’. The charges against them are therefore baseless, biased, illegal and unjust.

This has seriously damaged their family prestige and social status and immensely added to their distress. NESOCA Nepal has called on all its contacts to protest this part of Narendra’s case and send their protest letters to CIAA and demonstrate Newa Solidarity against abuse of authority by CIAA itself.

NESOCA Nepal has also sent a model protest letter to its contacts. One may make changes as he/she thinks necessary, insert name, address, date and send it simply as an attachment to the mail to CIAA at the given email address .