Nepal's primary anti-corruption watchdog has initiated a formal investigation into allegations of graft and financial misconduct surrounding the construction of the Pokhara International Airport, a major infrastructure project built with Chinese financing.
Formal Inquiry Launched by CIAA
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) officially opened its inquiry on Monday, December 8, 2025. The probe targets the $216 million airport project, which was constructed by a Chinese company and funded through a concessional loan from the China Exim Bank. The airport was completed and inaugurated on January 2, 2023.
Parliamentary Report Triggers Action
The CIAA's decision came directly on the heels of a damning report from a sub-committee of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC, chaired by Rajendra Lingden, had recommended a thorough investigation after finding evidence of potential manipulation in project cost estimates and substandard construction work.
The parliamentary committee alleged that these irregularities resulted in a massive financial loss to the state, estimated at nearly NPR 10 billion (approximately Rs 600 crore).
Wide Net Cast in Investigation
Officials confirmed that the anti-graft body has listed a total of 55 individuals for investigation in connection with the case. The list includes senior government officers and five former ministers. Among the former ministers, four had held the tourism portfolio at various times during the project's long gestation, while one had served as the finance minister.
Notably, the CIAA has not named any prime minister who was in office during the decade-long period covering the initial negotiations and contract awards for the airport.
The investigation adds to a climate of scrutiny around Nepal's aviation infrastructure. Earlier in the same week, Pradip Adhikary, the Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), was arrested in an unrelated probe concerning heliport construction. However, officials stated that his detention was also connected to the ongoing Pokhara International Airport case.
The launch of this high-profile probe marks a significant step in addressing long-standing concerns about transparency and accountability in large-scale, foreign-funded infrastructure projects in Nepal. The outcome is being closely watched both domestically and by international observers.
