Jun 21, Kathmandu - Eighteen individuals, including senior officials from the Passport Department, have been formally charged in connection with a passport printing scandal, according to the Office of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

CIAA Spokesperson Parbati Hitan confirmed that a special court has received charges against these individuals, which are currently under review. "The case has been filed, and the court is examining the details," she stated.

The accused include Tirtharaj Aryal, Director General of the Passport Department; Sunil Kumar K.C., Director of Information Technology; and several other officials such as Tulsi Prasad Acharya, Ravin Raj Bhandari, Ramarama Dahal, Bhesh Prasad Bhurtel, Pushparaj Nepal, Somas Thapa, Bipin Prasai, and Shatrughnan Prasad Sharma Pokhrel.

Foreign companies are also implicated, with two firms named as defendants, alongside four foreign nationals. Nepali facilitators Siddhartha Thapa and Manindra Raj Malla are also among those charged.

The investigation led to the detention and court appearance of seven individuals. On Asadha 2, authorities summoned officials to the Prime Minister's Office, where pressure was reportedly exerted to arrest Aryal for further investigation.

Aryal was subsequently detained under a warrant issued from the Prime Minister's Office. During this process, former Foreign Minister Arju Rana was also asked to appear for testimony, with a notice posted outside her Boudha residence.

Further, on Asadha 4, two German companies involved in passport printing—Mulbauer ID Services and Verodas—were summoned by the CIAA. Notices were issued to their representatives, Gerhard Maurer and Pabli Rakhik from Mulbauer, and Fabiola Bellersheim and Florian Pakkuelin from Verodas, asking them to appear physically or virtually.

The investigation revealed that Mulbauer ID Services was contracted for the pre-enrollment, enrollment, and data management system of passport issuance under Package 1. Verodas was awarded contracts for personalization, quality control, and packaging systems under Package 2.

This scandal has raised serious questions about transparency and corruption within Nepal’s passport issuance process, prompting ongoing investigations by authorities.