Immigration Employee and US Citizen Charged in Illegal Residential Visa Case
Dragon Media News Desk
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against two individuals for allegedly misusing the Department of Immigration’s information system to issue a residential visa illegally to a US citizen.
The commission filed the charge sheet at the Special Court against Rajiv Mahato, a former computer operator and senior immigration assistant at the department’s Non-Tourist Visa Section, and US citizen Dean Jay Robinson.
According to the anti-corruption commission, Mahato misused the “Traveller Centralisation” function in the Nepali Port immigration information system.
He allegedly altered the residential visa record issued in the name of Luxembourg citizen Paul Christian Pierre Geditz and merged it with Robinson’s identity before printing a visa in the US citizen’s name.
The commission said Robinson was not eligible for a residential visa under the law. However, Mahato allegedly issued the document in collusion with him without completing the required legal procedures, obtaining approval from an authorised official or depositing the prescribed government revenue.
Investigators found that the allegedly forged visa was placed in Robinson’s passport and that he had been residing in Nepal on the basis of the document.
The commission accused Mahato of violating his duty to maintain accurate government records by altering, deleting, adding and manipulating information in the immigration system, causing harm to the Government of Nepal and the Department of Immigration.
The commission has sought imprisonment and a fine against Mahato under Sections 9 and 11 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2002.
Robinson has been accused of inducing a public employee through cash, goods or other benefits to obtain an illegal advantage and acting as an accomplice in the alleged corruption.
The commission has sought the same imprisonment and fine for Robinson as for the principal accused under Section 22 of the Act.
Commission spokesperson Suresh Neupane said the charge sheet against both defendants had been filed at the Special Court in Kathmandu. The allegations remain subject to adjudication by the court.
