After the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) launched an investigation, the Ministry of Home Affairs has transferred eight more staffers from the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport.
The Home Ministry transferred the eight individuals on Thursday.
Among them, non-gazetted officers Prem Prasad Paudel and Bir Bhadra Joshi have been transferred to the District Administration Office, Kathmandu. Another non-gazetted officer, Nar Bahadur Thapa, has been transferred to the District Administration Office, Banke.
Similarly, Assistant Computer Operator Kamala Shrestha, Computer Operators Uden Subedi, Pradeep Kumar Yadav, Pawan Gurung, and Dhanraj Upadhyaya have been transferred to the Prison Management Department or its subordinate offices.
The Home Ministry had previously transferred six others from the Immigration Office.
Also, the ministry had stripped Chief Immigration Officer Tirtha Raj Bhattarai of his responsibilities and reassigned him to the ministry on Tuesday.
Shortly after Bhattarai’s transfer, a team from the CIAA conducted a raid at the Immigration Office on Wednesday. The CIAA confiscated Bhattarai’s mobile phone and other devices and detained him for questioning. He was released later that night on the condition that he appear before the CIAA on Thursday.
The ministry has transferred 15 individuals from the Immigration Office so far.
The Immigration Office is accused of colluding with intermediaries and facilitating visa processing in exchange for money. Employees of the Immigration Office are alleged to have taken large sums to facilitate sending people abroad on visit visas.
The Home Ministry transferred a large number of employees from the Immigration Office after the CIAA began an investigation into the allegations.
