Kathmandu, June 17

The Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI), under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, has charged four firms and two individuals for revenue misappropriation.

An investigation carried out by the department found that they had not paid revenue worth Rs 6.55 billion while importing goods through illegal channels.

“Our investigation has discovered that the firms had not been paying their due taxes at the customs offices while importing goods. More recently, we found out that importers of gold and motor parts had not paid taxes and were importing the goods through illegal channels,” said Dirgha Raj Mainali, director general of the department.

Mainali further said that involvement of some government officials is also suspected and a separate investigation is underway.

The DRI began its probe into the issue in mid-May and filed cases against the accused at the Rasuwa District Court, Kathmandu District Court and Rautahat District Court.

The DRI filed a case in Rasuwa District Court on May 20 against Kasher Gwalbo Ghale, importer of seven kilograms of gold, accusing of fraud. The department has sought Rs 177.94 million as principal amount and fine and three-year imprisonment for misusing foreign currency and revenue leakage.

Similarly, Rajesh Prasad Kalwar, proprietor of New Kiran Trade and Suppliers, has been accused of fraud and DRI has sought Rs 132.7 million in principal amount and fine, along with a three-year jail sentence for importing motor parts illegally.

DRI also found out that Kalwar was running two other firms in his name and was importing motorcycle parts illegally from India. Hence, another case has also been lodged against him, as proprietor of Kiran Trade and Suppliers, seeking Rs 13.27 million in principal amount and fine, besides a three-year jail sentence.

DRI has filed yet another case against Kalwar, as proprietor of Sonu Enterprises, seeking Rs 159.27 million in principal amount and fine, in addition to a three-year jail term.

The department has also booked Anukesh Kumar Sah and Bijay Kumar Sah for illegally importing 158 kilograms of gold and has sought Rs 3.32 billion in principal amount and fine, accusing them of tax fraud and foreign currency misuse, besides three-year jail for each.

The DRI filed case against them at the Rautahat District Court.

The DRI has also accused four people, including Gauri Shankar Gupta, of fraud. They had imported ceiling boards from the UAE and sold those goods in India.

Then they imported similar ceiling boards from India and were selling them in Nepal claiming they were from the UAE by making fake invoices and importing the goods without paying taxes. The DRI has sought Rs 1.27 million in principal amount and fine and threeyear jail term for each of them.

The DRI has accused them of misusing foreign currency worth $6,343. DRI has filed a case against them at the Kathmandu District Court.

Mainali further informed that in the last one year DRI had investigated 81 tax fraud cases and filed cases against 238 people in different courts across the country and sought principal amount and fines totalling Rs 18.32 billion.