Budget tampering case: Probe committee set to give clean chit to former FinMin Sharma

KATHMANDU: The parliamentary special committee formed to probe into charges of budget tampering against former finance minister Janardan Sharma is set to to give clean chit to Sharma.

Majority of members in the probe committee have agreed to present the probe report to Speaker Agni Sapkota today giving clean chit to Sharma. However, CPN-UML lawmakers in the probe committee have put dissenting opinion in the report.

The Parliament had formed 11-member committee to probe into the issue; four members from CPN-UML, two each from Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Center), and one each from CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP).

Ruling lawmakers in the committee have concluded that Sharma is innocent pointing that the evidence and statements collected does not prove that Sharma is guilty.

Sharma has been accused of inviting unauthorized persons to the Finance Ministry to tweak tax rates at the time of finalizing the budget on the night of May 28. He has denied the allegations, countered it and resigned from his post later.