Nepal forms panel to investigate assets of public officials since 2006

PTI, April 15, 2026, Kathmandu : Nepal government on Wednesday formed a commission to investigate the properties of public office holders, including political leaders and senior civil servants, since 2006.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held at the Office of the Prime Minister, government spokesperson and Minister for Education, Science and Technology Sasmit Pokharel told reporters.

The five-member Property Investigation Commission will be headed by former Supreme Court justice Rajendra Kumar Bhandari, he said.

The panel also includes former justices Chandi Raj Dhakal and Purushottam Parajuli, former Deputy Inspector General of Nepal Police Ganesh KC and chartered accountant Prakash Lamsal as members.

The commission has been mandated to collect and scrutinise asset declarations of major political office-bearers and high-ranking officials from 2006, when Nepal witnessed the People's Movement II, till the current fiscal year 2025-26.

The formation of the panel fulfils a commitment made by the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah soon after assuming office. On March 27, the Cabinet had decided to set up such a mechanism within 15 days.

Asset transparency has long been a contentious issue in Nepal, often surfacing in public discourse amid allegations of corruption, misuse of authority and accumulation of unexplained wealth among public officials.