The executive board of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) suspended acting CEO of NTB Subash Nirola on Thursday (October 30, 2014) over allegations of being involved in financial irregularities.

“The decision to suspend Nirola was made after a meeting of the executive board was held under the chairmanship of Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) Secretary, Suresh Man Shrestha,” says Mohan Krishna Sapkota, spokesperson at the ministry.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on October 22, 2014, had directed MoCTCA to suspend Nirola following  he was accused of tinkering with the financial by-laws, spending more than NRs 800 million without keeping any record of the expenses.

PAC sought clarification from Nirola after receiving a report from a probe committee formed by the MoCTCA under chairmanship of Joint Secretary Purna Chandra Bhattarai, on October 15, 2014.

According to the report, Nirola spent the aforementioned amount for personal purposes.
Around NRs 490 million, separated for development of NTB’s Pokhara branch office, was also spent without a proper record.

According to Sapkota, Nandini Thapa, senior director of NTB has been appointed as an officiating CEO of the board whereas the executive board has appointed Sudarshan Dhakal, director general of Department of Immigration as the member secretary.