KATHMANDU, AUGUST 13

The CPN UML has said the nation's financial standing has been tarnished in the international arena due to the gold smuggling scam.

A press release issued after the news conference organized by the UML Central Publicity and Publication Department here today states that economic crisis might escalate in the country due to the scam as it will result in diminished trust of donor agencies and countries towards Nepal.

Entrepreneurs and businesspersons will also be discouraged due to this.

'Rather than taking issues like the gold smuggling scandal seriously and taking necessary steps for resolving it, suspicion has grown whether the government is trying to hide it,' reads the press release issued by UML Chair and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

It can be assumed that there is political and administrative protection in this though such quantity of gold is smuggled frequently through the airport even amidst tight security, the UML Chair said in the press release.

The UML has been obstructing the parliament, calling for forming a judicial investigation commission to probe into the confiscation by the Department of Revenue Investigation of around 100 kgs of gold outside the Tribhuvan International Airport on August 18.

In the press statement, the UML Chair further questioned: why high level administrative officials and security officials were on leave at the same time; why the CCTVs linked to Finance and Home Ministries which monitor activities at customs and immigration conked out; why the x-ray and metal detectors' warning for re-test were ignored; and why efforts were made to digress the issue after its revelation. These activities caused suspicion, he argued.

Also attending the press meet were UML parliamentary party Deputy Leader Subash Chandra Nembang, Vice Chair Bishnu Paudel, General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali, and Publicity Department Chief Rajendra Gautam, among others.