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Court slaps nine-year jail term to former Nepal Telecom managing director Paudel

The Special Court has also imposed a fine of Rs 232 million on Paudel for corruption in the procurement of the National Payment Gateway system.

Kathmandu: The Special Court on Tuesday sentenced Sunil Paudel, former managing director of Nepal Telecom, to nine years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 232 million for corruption in the procurement of the National Payment Gateway system.

Following the order, Paudel has been sent to Dillibazar prison.

A division bench of Special Court Chairperson Tek Narayan Kunwar and member Murari Babu Shrestha announced the quantum of punishment. The bench had convicted Paudel of corruption in the procurement of the National Payment Gateway system, but acquitted eight others including Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini in the case.

The court had scheduled a hearing on Tuesday to determine the punishment.

According to the court, Paudel has been charged as per Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2002.

On October 2, 2023, the CIAA had filed a corruption case against nine people including Paudel and Marasini in the National Payment Gateway purchase case.

Along with former finance secretary Marasini, the then executive director of National Information Technology Center (NITC), Sanjay Sharma, the then executive director of NITC Pranita Upadhyaya, the then director of NITC Safal Shrestha, the then assistant director of NITC Ramesh Prasad Pokharel, the then account officers of NITC Nim Bahadur Oli and Ram Bahadur Budha, and computer engineer with NITC Ram Sharan Gayak were acquitted in the case.

The anti-graft body had accused them of causing loss to the state coffers and misusing government funds by purchasing the system at Rs 250 million without preparing the necessary infrastructure and approving an unreasonable high estimate for the system purchase.