Nepal’s Pokhara airport scandal: A deepening political crisis and a test of anti-corruption resolve |
Nepal is once again at the center of a major political and financial scandal, this time involving the country’s most high-profile infrastructure project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Nepal’s top anti-graft body, has filed sweeping corruption charges against 55 individuals, including five former ministers, ten former government secretaries, senior civil aviation officials, and China CAMC Engineering, the Chinese contractor responsible for building Pokhara International Airport. The charges, filed on December 7, accuse the group of embezzling 8.36 billion Nepalese rupees (USD $74.34 million) through inflated project estimates, procurement violations, and compromised construction quality.
The scandal represents one of the largest corruption cases ever pursued in Nepal and exposes deep-rooted flaws in the country’s governance system, particularly in the handling of foreign-funded infrastructure projects. It also raises uncomfortable questions about the transparency and oversight of BRI-backed ventures, which critics say often operate within opaque negotiation frameworks that leave ample room for misconduct.
Pokhara International Airport, inaugurated in January 2023, was marketed as a transformative project for Nepal’s tourism-dependent economy. Located in the scenic city of Pokhara – a gateway to the Himalayas – the airport was envisioned as a major regional hub capable of drawing international airlines and boosting economic development. Instead, it has become a stark example of how political interference, weak regulatory systems, and foreign contractor influence can turn a promising........