Kathmandu, April 1

The Special Court today freed Rabindra Gurung, the main operator of a fun park charged with embezzling a huge sum, after he posted a bail amount of Rs 700,000.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, had, on February 4, filed a graft case at the Special Court against 14 persons, including former minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare and former chair of Social Welfare Council Badri Prasad Neupane for allegedly embezzling millions of rupees.

Other defendants include former vice-chair of Social Welfare Council Pramod Mehata, former treasurer of Social Welfare Council  Kunja Bihari Prasad Chaudhary, former members of Social Welfare Council  Hari Neupane, Mohan Raj Sharma and Madan Kumar Lal Karna, and former member secretary of Social Welfare Council   Ravindra Kumar.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority accused the defendants of not following legal procedure while renting 60 ropani land to the fun park at Bhrikuti Mandap. A meeting of the Board of Directors of the council on 5 September 2012 had awarded the contract to Rabindra Gurung to run a fun park for a monthly rent of Rs 555,000 (inclusive of all taxes) for 15 years.

The anti-graft body had accused the defendants of renting the fun park at a price much lower than the market rate. It has sought to recoup Rs 315,217,675 from ex-minister Neupane, Mehata, Chaudhary, Sharma, Karna, Hari Neupane, Tek Bahadur Gurung (fun park operator) and Rabindra Gurung (main operator of the park).

It has named former treasurer of Social Welfare Council  Ratna Gaha Magar, former director of Social Welfare Council  Madan Prasad Rimal, former deputy director of Social Welfare Council  Bal Bahadur Swar, former legal advisers to Social Welfare Council  Prem Singh Dhami and Jagadev Chaudhary, but has not claimed any amount from them.

The defendants had first awarded the contract on September 6, 2003, for a monthly rent of Rs 9, 250 which was renewed and extended on September 5, 2012.