MAY 13, 2010 Freedom Forum is largely concerned and alarmed over Attorney General Bharat Bahadur Karki's indecent manner of abusing employees working in the Division of Registration and Writ for reportedly providing information to journalists, which is the sheer violation of whistleblower protection provision envisaged by the Right to Information (RTI) Act of Nepal.
Attorney General Karki scolded the employees on Tuesday and Wednesday for providing the copies of written reply of Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha in response to a writ petition registered demanding the non-implementation of the recommendation made for appointing the office-bearers by the Constitutional Council.
Karki had also reportedly threatened the employees not to provide such information and take actions if such incidents continued in the coming days.
It is very regrettable act to suppress and discourage employees for imparting information of public importance to journalists since such move poses serious threat to the protection of whistleblower.
"It is quite surprising and condemnable that the Auditor General, who is the head of important constitutional body to enforce and implement the laws, to take such move; it has underestimated the provision of protecting whistleblowers on the ground of good faith", said Freedom Forum Chairperson Taranath Dahal. The constitutional body should be responsible to be supportive to enforce laws rather not for curtailing its scope.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022