Nepal's Supreme Court ruled Sunday that the powerful head of the anti-corruption commission was not fit to hold the position and should be replaced, in an unprecedented move for the country's graft mired politics.
Lokman Singh Karki - a perennial figure in Nepal's politics - has headed the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) since 2013, despite myriad graft allegations against him. "The Supreme Court has concluded that he is not qualified for the position and annulled his appointment," Biswaraj Poudel, a court spokesman told AFP. "The court has also directed the government to appoint a person qualified as per the constitution as the chief of the commission." Karki was suspended in October after an impeachment motion was lodged in the parliament, accusing him of abusing his position.
But the impeachment motion then stalled, amid allegations parliament was dragging its feet over concerns that if it backfired some members would find themselves in Karki's crosshairs on similar charges. A lawyer filed a case with the Supreme Court arguing that Karki lacked the appropriate moral character for the role and was not qualified to hold the position as head of the anti-graft body.