Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 (Sec. 3)
Graft slabs from ≤ NPR 25,000 (up to 3 months) to above NPR 1 crore (8–10 years), plus fine equal to the amount and confiscation. Givers punished the same as takers.
3 mo → 10 yrs + fine + confiscation
Overview
Corruption prosecutions in Nepal are investigated by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and tried by the Special Court — a forum with its own pace and presumptions. The Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059 punishes bribe-givers and takers alike on amount-graded slabs reaching 8–10 years, with confiscation of the graft and fines tied to the sum involved.
These cases are document wars: procurement files, valuation reports, bills and property statements. Whether you are a public servant facing inquiry, a contractor caught in a procurement probe, or a whistleblower needing protection, early counsel changes the trajectory before the charge sheet is filed.
Legal framework
The Nepalese laws that govern this area — what each one does in your matter.
CIAA jurisdiction
Constitutional anti-graft body with powers to demand documents, record statements and file cases; Special Court conducts trial. Extraterritorial reach over acts abroad.
Special Court trial — no ordinary forum
Procurement & loss offences
False bills, double payment, unnatural valuation or procurement, and loss to public property with mala fide intent (up to 2 years plus loss recovery).
Up to 2 yrs + full loss recovery
False documents & property statements
Public servants preparing false records (3 months–1 year); false property details and audit/report offences within the CIAA net.
3 mo–1 yr + NPR 10,000–50,000
National Vigilance Centre
Under the Prime Minister — surveillance, surprise checks and property-statement monitoring that often trigger CIAA action.
How we handle it
Inquiry-stage counsel
We respond to CIAA document calls and statement notices, controlling what is volunteered and how it is framed.
Bail & custody
Corruption arrests need immediate bail strategy — detention here is often about pressure, not investigation.
Charge-sheet audit
Slab arithmetic, sanction validity and the money trail: we test whether the graft math actually adds up.
Special Court trial
Full trial advocacy with valuers, auditors and procurement experts as defence witnesses.
Appeal & confiscation fights
High Court and Supreme Court appeals, plus separate contest of confiscation and property-attachment orders.
Punishments at stake
Bribery sentences run from 3 months to 10 years by graft slab, with matching fines and confiscation — public servants face the full tariff, abettors who are private persons face half, and repeat or aggravated conduct draws more.
Common questions
The CIAA has summoned me for a statement. Must I go?
Take it seriously and go — with counsel. What you say at inquiry stage is routinely used in the charge sheet. An advocate ensures the statement is accurate, complete and not self-expanding.
Can the person who paid the bribe also be punished?
Yes. The giver faces the same slab punishment as the taker, and private intermediaries face graded liability. 'I was forced to pay' is a factual defence to build early, not an automatic shield.
Will my property be confiscated?
Accepted graft is confiscated on conviction, and disproportionate-assets cases can attach property beyond the bribe itself. We contest attachment orders separately from the criminal trial.
General legal information for public awareness — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an advocate →