Nepal's parliament on Tuesday began considering the fate of the head of the country's powerful anti-graft commission, who faces impeachment for alleged abuse of power.

Some 157 lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties moved a motion last week accusing Lokman Singh Karki, the head of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), of failing to fulfill his responsibilities and violating laws.

 ‘Nepal's constitution has a provision for an anti-corruption commission, with a chief commissioner and several commissioners who have high moral standing. But the chief commissioner Lokman Singh Karki turned this institution into a means to fulfill his personal ambition,’ Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, a lawmaker from the ruling party, told parliament.

‘He institutionalised corruption and took the law into his hands. Exercising absolute power, Karki rendered state organs dysfunctional and promoted corruption. Therefore, we have moved parliament to impeach him,’ Shahi said.

The CIAA is a constitutional body with sweeping powers to control corruption, but its conduct has come under fire ever since Karki, a former chief secretary of the government, was elevated to the job three years ago.

Karki has been accused of misusing his authority to settle scores with his critics and to amass wealth. Karki, who has been suspended from his position, was not immediately available for comment.

 After the debate in parliament, an 11-member impeachment recommendation committee - formed last week - will deliberate on the motion and present its report to parliament, according to parliamentary spokesman Bharat Raj Gautam.

The ruling Maoist party and opposition Unified Marxist-Leninist said their lawmakers would back the motion, but another opposition party, Nepali Congress, whose vote is crucial to impeach Karki, remained undecided.

A two-thirds majority is required to pass the impeachment motion in parliament.