Kathmandu, October 29
A complaint has been filed seeking an investigation into the academic certificates of engineer Hem Kaji Basnet. He was elected a central member from Koshi Province in the under-35 (open) category at the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention.
A candidate who lost at the convention filed the complaint with the Central Election Committee on Thursday morning. It asks for a probe into the academic certificates of Basnet, who was elected a central member.
The complainant said the complaint was sent by email because he had obtained facts and evidence that raise serious questions about Basnet’s educational qualifications. He contacted Onlinekhabar but has not mentioned his name in the complaint.
Along with the emailed complaint, the complainant has attached the available details of Basnet’s registration with the Nepal Engineering Council and other relevant evidence.
“I have attached the facts and documents available with this letter as evidence,” the complainant wrote. “I request that this matter be taken not as personal bias, prejudice or political revenge, but as a serious concern related to protecting the party’s reputation, fairness and institutional dignity.”
The letter also asks the committee to obtain the necessary information from the concerned university and the Nepal Engineering Council, and to verify the authenticity and validity of the academic certificates.
“Please conduct an impartial and fact-based investigation of the documents and evidence received,” the complaint says. “If the investigation confirms any irregularity or any act contrary to prevailing rules, please move ahead with the necessary process under the party statute and prevailing law.”
A complaint had earlier been filed against Sushil Bhatta, who was elected a central member in the under-35 (open) category at the 15th General Convention. That complaint asks for the ages of all candidates who contested and were elected from the under-35 youth delegate cluster to be investigated on the basis of their official citizenship and other authentic documents.
