Nepal court issues arrest warrant for former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane over cooperative mismanagement
- In Reports
- 01:35 PM, Sep 23, 2024
- Myind Staff
The Kaski District Court in Nepal has issued an arrest warrant against former Home Minister and chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, in connection with allegations of cooperative mismanagement. The warrant, issued on Sunday by a bench led by Judge Krishna Jung Shah, relates to Lamichhane's involvement in the mismanagement of funds while overseeing Gorkha Media Network, owned by GB Rai.
In response to the arrest warrant, party supporters gathered at the RSP office, protesting against the government and accusing authorities of targeting Lamichhane due to his growing political popularity. Earlier on the same day, former Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Chhabi Lal Joshi, a partner at Gorkha Media Network, was also detained, intensifying the protests and leading to key party members assembling at the office.
The arrest warrant follows orders from the current Minister for Home Affairs, Ramesh Lekhak, who instructed Nepal Police to launch a special parliamentary investigation. A report, made public on Friday, implicates Lamichhane, Rai, Joshi, and Kumar Ramtel in alleged fraud, forgery, organised crime, and money laundering activities.
The investigation, led by a parliamentary committee chaired by Surya Thapa, links the cooperative fraud case to various legal frameworks, including the Cooperative Act 2017 and the Organised Crime Prevention Act 2013. It alleges the misuse of Nepali Rs 650 million funnelled into Gorkha Media Network from several cooperatives. The committee includes members from multiple political parties, highlighting the gravity of the allegations.
Lamichhane, who entered politics in 2022 with the formation of RSP, was serving as the managing director of Gorkha Media at the time of the alleged misappropriation of funds. He has denied the accusations, claiming ignorance about the cooperative fund transfers.
The committee's report recommends strict legal action and emphasises the need to enforce regulatory provisions governing cooperative fund transfers. It also points to the issuance of millions worth of cheques from a joint account as evidence of Lamichhane's involvement.
The House Speaker has directed the government to act on the committee's findings, stressing the accountability of cooperative promoters and shareholders. Lamichhane was questioned for over 10 hours during the investigation, during which he maintained his innocence and claimed to be unaware of the source of the funds.
The committee’s report initially granted a three-month deadline was completed after a 15-day extension. It has now been tabled in parliament, leading to directives for government implementation following calls from the Nepali Congress for a thorough investigation.
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