Nepal: Army takes action against 187 soldiers for corruption

The Nepal Army on Thursday convicted 173 personnel, including 23 officers, for their involvement in corruption in the last year's recruitment process.

After a month-long investigation, a court martial found them guilty of soliciting bribes from aspiring soldiers and assuring them jobs, including those who managed to get entry into the force.

Apart from jail term and expulsion from the Army, the court also slapped a fine of 32.28 million Nepali rupees on them, according to a press release from the Nepal Army headquarters.

Two soldiers were sentenced to six years imprisonment and expulsion from the Army, six soldiers, including two officers, have been sentenced to one month to three years of imprisonment and expulsion, one soldier would be expelled from job and promotion of dozens of others have been halted as per the court-martial.

The Giri-led army court also sacked 112 personnel, among them 101 were the new recruits who managed to secure the job through bribery, it said.

They, however, aren't disqualified to get government positions in the future.

This is probably for the first time in the history of the Nepal Army that such a large number of soldiers have been court-martialed.

(With inputs from agencies.)