The Special Court on Thursday sentenced Sunil Paudel, the former Managing Director (MD) of Nepal Telecom, to eight and a half years in prison and imposed a hefty fine of over Rs 15 million in a high-profile corruption case.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed a lawsuit against Paudel and co-defendant Dipak Anand, accusing them of embezzling Rs 30.85 million.
A joint bench comprising judges Sudarshan Dev Bhatta, Hemanta Rawal, and Dilli Ratna Shrestha ruled that while the charges of corruption were proven, the exact amount claimed by the anti-graft body could not be recovered, nor could its final location or bank deposits be definitively traced.
However, weighing the severe nature of the crime and the active roles played by the accused, the court ordered Paudel and Ananda to pay an equal, split share of the embezzled amount as a fine. Consequently, both individuals have been fined Rs 15.42 million each.
In terms of imprisonment, both defendants received a base sentence of eight months. However, the bench slapped an additional six-month prison term on Sunil Paudel, citing that he held a position of public trust as the Executive Director of the National Information Technology Center when the offense took place.
Additionally, the court has directed both convicts to contribute Rs 617,008 each to the Victim Protection Fund.
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