The Director-General of Department of Foreign Employment Binod KC today surrendered before the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority and expressed his commitment to cooperate with the officers in the anti-graft body’s ongoing investigation into corruption.

After the arrests of some DoFE officials, who had hinted at investigating officers about institutional corruption in the department, the CIAA has been keeping KC and other top officials under close scrutiny. The CIAA has received information of misappropriation by DoFE officials while issuing labour approval to as many as 77 migrant workers. “He (KC) has expressed his commitment that he will fully cooperate and produce the file related to labour approval,” Bhawani Subedi, Press Coordinator for CIAA Chief Lokman Singh Karki, told THT.

Following media reports today that the anti-graft body was set to swoop down on top DoFE officials, Director General KC appeared before the CIAA. “Now we will wait for a few days and if he does not submit the file, we will begin action against him,” Subedi added.

The CIAA estimates that 40 to 50 per cent of DoFE staff may face action on graft charges as labour approval was issued illegally to 77 migrant workers who wanted to fly to Malaysia, Qatar and other Gulf countries. Thirty-four of them have already flown to different countries. The rest are on the ‘waiting list’. Those officials who were arrested on Tuesday had revealed that KC too was involved in issuing the labour approval illegally.

Published on: 23 August 2013 | The Himalayan Times