The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has filed four different criminal charges against so-called businessman Prithvi Bahadur Shah and 19 other accomplices for swindling 56 US, UK and Canadian citizens, mostly elderly, of millions of dollars on the pretext of providing different online services. The CIB, after completing months-long investigation, has recommended charge-sheeting the accused of swindling, document forgery, cooperative offences and organised crime to the Kathmandu District Government Attorney. Seven of the 20 accused, including Shah, are in police custody while the rest are at large. Financial Information Unit of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had accused Shah of remitting more than USD 4 million in illegal earnings from abroad.

Police investigated Shah on the basis of complaints filed by the foreign victims. Shah is learnt to have established 24 companies with the objective of channeling illegally earned money from overseas into Nepal.

Earlier, the US government had notified the NRB and Ministry of Finance that the money earned by Shah was illegal and that it should be returned to the rightful owners in the USA. His modus operandi was getting remote access to the electronics devices of the victims who had accepted his offer.

The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu has said the CIB, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and domestic intelligence and security service of the US would continue to jointly investigate this scheme and ensure that victims recouped their stolen money. It may be recalled that in 2021 and throughout 2022, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network under the US Department of Treasury had apprised Nepal's Financial Intelligence Unit of a potential scheme that swindled US citizens. The FBI and US Embassy had helped to gather evidence against Shah, who was an unknown figure until early 2022.

It may also be recalled that the issue came to light after then finance minister Janardan Sharma wrote a letter to the NRB to release the money deposited at various Nepali banks. After NRB Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari refused to release the money blocked in the banks, Sharma, with the consent of then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, sacked Adhikari on charges of unfounded allegations that Adhikari failed to maintain financial discipline in the central bank. Sharma had even formed a three-member probe panel to justify his decision to sack the NRB governor. Adhikari, however, returned to office following the Supreme Court's stay order. Sharma had then publicly argued that money earned by Nepali citizens abroad, in any manner, should not be blocked as such kind of money could be invested in productive sectors, which would help create job opportunities within the country. Then government's decision to favour con man Shah and his accomplices had drawn widespread criticism. With the CIB concluding its investigation against Shah, it has been established that Sharma was on the wrong side of the law. Will the CIB take any legal action against the Maoist leader for illegally coercing the NRB governor to release the money stolen by Shah and his accomplices from the said foreign nationals, who had saved their hard-earned money for their retirement age?

Wildfire risks

Scanty rains during the winter months have increased the risk of wildfires across the country.

Wildfires have engulfed the forest areas in Mahottari in the east as well as in Kathmandu and other parts of the country. The country received less than the 20 per cent precipitation this winter, with the central and eastern parts remaining particularly dry. Although Nepal saw some light rain last week towards the close of the winter season, there are little signs that the pre-monsoon season will see normal rainfall. Thus, apart from drying up of water resources, there is great likelihood of forests turning tinder.

Once forests catch fire, it is very difficult to douse it.

Wildfires keep burning for months on end even in countries like Australia and the United States, although they have the needed resources and technology at their disposal. The security forces must be mobilised to enhance surveillance and patrolling of the forest areas and swing into action as soon as a fire is detected. Wildfires could also spread to adjoining settlements, so the locals will need to be extra vigilant against not only the fires but also wild animals in search of a safe sanctuary.

A version of this article appears in the print on March 3, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.