KATHMANDU, MARCH 21
The recording of the statement from Krishna Bahadur Mahara, vice chairman of CPN (Maoist Centre), has been completed today. Mahara is under police custody for investigation related to the gold smuggling scam.
The chief of the District Attorney's Office, Joint Attorney Sandesh Shrestha, shared that the process of recording statements, which began on Wednesday, has been completed today.
After the completion of recording the statement, he was re-admitted to the Norvic Hospital in the capital, according to the Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police. Due to poor health, the court ordered him to be kept in the hospital.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) was arrested on March 18 from Kapilvastu district and is under judicial custody for four days.
CIB spokesperson Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati said that further necessary procedures will be initiated against him Friday.
Mahara was arrested by police for investigation as his name was linked to Chinese nationals involved in the smuggling of 61 kg of gold that was hidden in the brake shoes of a scooter on July 18 last year and 9 kg of gold that was brought concealed in an electronic cigarette (vape) in December 2023.
Prior to this, also, the CIB had recorded his statement but did not complete the due process. In the same case, Mahara's son Rahul is currently in custody pending trial.
Meanwhile, in the case of embezzlement of land of the Bansbari Shoe Factory, CIB recorded the statement of lawmaker Binod Chaudhary in the presence of the District Public Prosecutor. Talking to the media after giving his statement, Chaudhary claimed that the process was just a stunt.
Saying that the best model of PPP has been politicized, he said that the idea of connecting him to the case was of a distorted mentality.
The CIB had informed Speaker Devraj Ghimire through the Parliament Secretariat about the ongoing investigation of billionaire Chaudhary.
