KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Hearing Committee has suspended the confirmation hearing of Chudamani Kharel, nominated as Nepal’s ambassador to Malaysia, following allegations of financial irregularities, questionable dealings with recruitment agencies and conflicts of interest.
The Committee halted Wednesday’s hearing after Kharel presented his action plan, saying it needed additional time to examine complaints filed against him.
During the meeting, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Rajiv Khatri raised several allegations concerning Kharel’s financial dealings and past activities. He said the committee had received complaints alleging irregularities in land transactions in Pokhara and the Madhesh region, as well as financial dealings with recruitment agencies ahead of Kharel’s proposed appointment as ambassador.
Khatri claimed that complaints supported by evidence alleged Kharel had collected millions of rupees from residents of Jhapa by promising to help them secure grants, and began returning the money after his nomination as ambassador.
He also referred to complaints alleging that Kharel had taken money from individuals and subsequently blocked them on social media. In addition, Khatri said there were allegations that Kharel had received money from certain recruitment agencies in return for promising assistance in his prospective role as ambassador and had used a vehicle provided by one of the agencies.
Khatri further questioned the status of millions of rupees in unsettled accounts linked to organisations where Kharel had previously worked.
He also cited documents alleging that Kharel had collected tens of millions of rupees by promising to facilitate land transactions in Pokhara. Similar complaints had reportedly been received concerning land dealings in the Tarai-Madhesh region.
RSP lawmakers Samim Miya Mikrani and Kabindra Burlakoti, along with Nepali Communist Party lawmaker Barshaman Pun, said the seriousness and volume of the allegations warranted further investigation.
Committee chair Bodh Narayan Shrestha subsequently suspended the hearing, saying the panel needed time to verify the complaints. He noted that the procedure governing ambassadorial appointments requires nominees to demonstrate high moral character.
Shrestha told Kharel that the committee would examine the allegations and could summon him again if further clarification was needed. He said members had received information through various channels that required scrutiny before the confirmation process could proceed.
Kharel denied the allegations, claiming that false information had been circulated about him. Regarding an audio recording cited in connection with the complaints, he said the person who made the recording had contacted him and sent him another recording in which the individual stated that no financial dealings had taken place.
Kharel said he would submit the recording to the committee, insisting that there was no further issue to address.
He also denied having any dealings with businesspeople, challenging those making the allegations to produce evidence to substantiate their claims.
The committee later adjourned the hearing, saying it would resume the process after reviewing the issues raised.