Police to probe diplomatic passport scam

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police has begun investigation into the alleged misuse of diplomatic passports by some Constituent Assembly members.

The law enforcement agency swung into action after CA Chairperson Subas Nembang on Sunday called on Attorney General Yuba Raj Sangroula and Inspector General of Nepal Police Ramesh Chand Thakuri and requested them to look into the passport misuse issue.

“A serious attention of the Parliament Secretariat has been drawn towards the reported passport forgery scam; we want you to initiate a prompt investigation,” a source at the Parliament Secretariat quoted Nembang as telling AG Sangroula and IG Thakuri.

Nembang had also assured them of cooperation to initiate action against CA members if found guilty of misusing and forging passports.

Gayatri Sah of Nepali Janata Dal and Bishwo Nath Prasad Yadav of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal are already under police and Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority scanner for alleged misuse of diplomatic passports.

Sah and Yadav had last procured their red passports in October 2010 to participate in two international conferences — an International Conference on Fixed Combination in the Treatment of Hypertension and Dyslipidemia slated for November 18-20 in Brisbane and an Annual Green Roof and Wall Conference slated for November 30 in Vancouver. The CA members were dragged into controversy after two persons — Prithivi Chatyal and an unidentified woman — were caught in Abu Dhabi Immigration Office on their way to Australia.

Sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Parliament Secretariat and police informed that some other CA members are also on the watchlist. A source hinted that they were among those who had procured passports to attend the same programmes in Australia and Canada.

The Parliament Secretariat had recommended MoFA on October 11 to provide diplomatic passports to three other CA members (along with Sah and Yadav): Salma Khatun Mikarani, Siva Pujan Raya Yadav and Ramva Devi of MJF-N who were supposed to attend the same programmes. Ramva Devi and Yadav, were able to obtain passports within a week, whereas Mikarani was questioned by MoFA officials for telling a lie. Makarani had told MoFA officials that she had not procured a diplomatic passport in the past. But later it was found that she did have a diplomatic passport, according to the source.

Talking to the THT, Ramva Devi confirmed that she had procured a passport to visit Australia and Canada. But she could not attend the programmes after she was denied visa by the concerned countries. Interestingly, she revealed that she had lost her passport during the same time in Rautahat but had later found it. “Now, I have my passport,” she added.

A source at MoFA said the ministry has written to the Parliament Secretariat seeking details of all the CA members to carry out the investigation into the scam.