Minister Accused in 69 Crore Corruption Case: The Height of Hollow Good Governance

# Avinash Sharma

The Gen-Z government’s decision to appoint former senior manager Shraddha Shrestha, who is an accused in a 69 crore rupee misuse case at the Nepal Tourism Board currently sub judice in the Special Court, as the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens is a clear sign that all boundaries of good governance and morality have been crossed. In the corruption case filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority on April 2, 2015, against 23 individuals from the Tourism Board, Shraddha Shrestha was under discussion as a directly involved accused, and a case with substantial evidence regarding embezzlement of a large sum has already been presented against her in the Special Court.

Appointing a person bearing such serious charges to a powerful executive position is not merely political weakness but appears to be an open attempt to interfere with the judicial process. The act of appointing someone as a minister while a case is still ongoing extinguishes any hope of the investigation proceeding impartially. Since the position of minister increases access to documents, procedures, sources, and influence, the risk of direct or indirect pressure on the ongoing case in the Special Court is extremely high.

By appointing a person accused in a corruption case as a minister, the Gen-Z leadership, which speaks of establishing good governance, transparency, and a new political culture, has confirmed that the values and ideals championed by their movement remain confined to paper. This appointment is proof that the old malaise of providing political protection to corruption is very much alive within the Gen-Z government itself.

Appointing a person accused of misusing 69 crore rupees in public funds as a minister is a direct attack on public taxes, judicial integrity, the constitutional authority granted to the CIAA, and citizen’s trust. For leaders who came to government promising change, the decision to elevate the accused to high office marks a firm return of immorality in Nepali politics.

This is not merely a ministerial appointment but a moment that reveals where the country’s political character has descended. By selling trust in the name of good governance and discarding the values of their movement for the whims of power, the Gen-Z government has emerged as a counterfeit replica of the old, corrupt political culture. The citizens sought change, but the government has shown continuity in the corrupt tradition of whitewashing corruption and elevating the accused to Singha Durbar.