The National Information Commission (NIC) has directed the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) to publicize the report submitted by the Property Judicial Probe Commission formed in 2057 BS, led by the then Justice of the Supreme Court Bhairav Prasad Lamsal. Acting Chief Information Commissioner Shree Acharya and Information Commissioner Sabita Bhandari, today directed to provide information to the petitioners as per the Right to Information Act or to reply at the Commission within seven days by clarifying why the information cannot be given. Taranath Dahal and Sanjeev Ghimire had filed the case from the freedom1 Forum and RTI Support Centre on October 11 at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers demanding the details of report as per Clause 3 of the Right to Information Act 2064 BS. According to freedom1 Forum, Information Officer of the Office of the Prime Minister and Under Secretary Shanker KC refused to provide the report saying the information violates the individual secrecy, creates threat to personal life, property, health and security. Dahal and Ghimire had filed the case demanding the information saying the persons, who are holding public positions, have intended to hide corruption through negligence in providing information of property that was earned abusing the authority of the post.
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
