CIAA probes allegations of misuse of grants by SGM organisations

Kathmandu: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has launched an investigation into allegations of the misuse of grants by sexual and gender minority organisations.

SGM organisations, Blue Diamond Society, the Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities Nepal (FSGMN), Cruiseaids Nepal, Mitini Nepal, Queer Group, and Campaign for Change Organisation, have been charged with misusing grants received from donors for SGM rights, and gender reassignment and hormone therapy.

An investigation into the matter was decided on June 10, and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has been requested to provide necessary evidence, said CIAA’s information officer Devi Prasad Thapaliya.

The Ministry informed that preparations were underway to ask the Social Welfare Council to provide necessary evidence to help with the investigation.

SGM organisations, including Blue Diamond Society, the FSGMN, Cruiseaids Nepal, Mitini Nepal, have been accused of supporting gender reassignment and hormone therapy with USAID funding. Some SGM activists claim that these medical procedures come with health risks.

The Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) in coordination with these organisations were running hormone clinics across the country for surgery and hormone therapy. However, under pressure, these clinics have shut down, it has been reported.

Sanjib Gurung (Pinki, Sheetal), the BDS President, has been accused of embezzling thousands of rupees under the pretext of investing in a hydropower company.

She collected the sums from BDS members by promising them shares in the company named Bibeksheel Aadarsha Investment Company Pvt. Ltd. established back in 2017, and a double return on their investment, claimed the victims.

However, Gurung could not be reached for comment. These aforementioned organisations have been accused of violating the principles of “Conflict of Interest” and lacking transparency. They are working on the same projects funded by the same donor agencies, and their members and staff are violating conflict of interest norms, according to SGM activists.

For instance, they have presidents and board members who work in parallel roles, participating in decision-making processes that, de facto, control all three entities. This clearly breaches the conflict of interest principle, as they influence and execute the decisions that benefit only these leaders.

Examining the composition of these organisations reveals a small team controlling the majority of funding and mutually supporting each other. For instance, the BDS president, Sanjeev Gurung (Sheetal, Pinki) is a Technical Advisor of Cruiseaids Nepal, and the president of Cruiseaids Nepal is in the programme team of BDS. Similarly, the BDS director is the president of the FSGMN, so on and so forth.

This close-knit group safeguards each other, and is adept at propaganda by planting stories and orchestrating meetings with donors and government representatives using misleading facts, often playing the victim card and vilifying good leaders from the community to serve their purpose.

Notably, BDS has been charged with misappropriations and misconduct. Monika Shahi, a rights activist for the third gender, was reportedly removed as an employee at BDS when she demanded transparency and democratic procedures in selecting the leadership within the organisation. BDS retaliated by preventing her from participating in related programmes, said Shahi.