Ex-minister Wagle sent to jail for 5 years

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Former minister and Nepali Congress leader Chiranjivi Wagle was sent to jail today as per yesterday’s Supreme Court verdict.

Though the apex court had slapped an 18-month jail term to Wagle, he will be cooling his heels behind bars for five years, four months and 25 days, as he showed his inability to pay a fine of Rs 20.3 million imposed on him by the apex court.

The apex court yesterday passed the verdict ending a nine-year-old graft case against Wagle ordering an 18-month jail term and Rs 20.3 million fine.

Wagle was a close aide of former prime ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba.

“After he admitted his inability to pay the fine, we converted his fine into jail term and sent him to prison for five years, four months and 25 days,” Chitra Bahadur KC, Chief, Judgment Execution Section of the Kathmandu District Court, told The Himalayan Times. “However, after completing his 18-month jail term, he can be released any day he pays the fine.”

Wagle earlier had served 35 days in jail in 2003 when the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority had arrested him to probe the graft case against him. JES, immediately after Wagle’s arrest, sent him to Dilli Bazaar Prison, though it had initially planned to send him to the Central Jail. The decision was changed as per the request from Wagle. “We sent him to Dilli Bazaar Prison as per his request, as he said it would be easier for him to get food from his home there,” added KC. As per the prison norms, Wagle, however, will be getting 700 gram of rice and Rs 43 allowance daily to meet his basic needs.

After the arrest, the former minister, however, said the apex court verdict was an injustice to him. “This is the prize I have received for my contribution to the country and democracy for 49 years,” added Wagle.

He also flayed the verdict claiming it had recognised his son Devendra’s income as his.