Nepal’s anti-corruption body has charged 55 officials, including five former ministers, and a Chinese construction company for corruption in the building of a Chinese-funded airport in western Nepal, officials said on Tuesday (Dec 9). The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed the case at the Special Court for Anti-Corruption on Sunday, accusing the officials and China CAMC Engineering Co Ltd of artificially inflating the cost of constructing Pokhara International Airport by over US$74 million (S$95.99 million).

Yagya Raj Regmi, assistant spokesperson for the Special Court, stated that the CIAA has demanded that the accused, including the Chinese firm, repay the inflated amount as fines. None of those charged were available for comment. Regmi added, “The Special Court will now issue notices to the accused and will begin hearings after receiving their statements. We cannot say at this stage when the court will conclude and deliver a judgment.”

According to the CIAA, the project’s cost was raised to US$244 million from an estimated US$170 million. A final payment was made using a US$216-million loan from China Exim Bank. Although Pokhara International Airport was inaugurated in 2023, no international airlines have yet expressed interest in operating regular flights there.

Corruption remains widespread in Nepal, which lies between China and India. In September, youth-led anti-corruption protests left at least 76 people dead and led to the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. He was replaced by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who is overseeing parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. The city of Pokhara, Nepal’s second-largest, is a major tourist hub and serves as the gateway to Annapurna, the world’s 10th-highest mountain.