KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 22
The District Attorney's Office Kaski has filed a supplementary chargesheet against former deputy prime minister, home minister, and Rastriya Swatantra Party president Rabi Lamichhane in Kaski District Court on charges of cooperative fraud, organised crime, and money laundering.
Talking to THT Shanti Devi Sharma, Information Officer of the Kaski District Court, said that a chargesheet has been filed against him, seeking punishment for various crimes.
"A supplementary charge sheet has been filed against Rabi Lamichhane in three cases-cooperative fund misappropriation, money laundering, and organised crime," she stated. "Also, a charge sheet has been filed to freeze Neekita Poudel's (Lamichhane's spouse) wealth."
She added, "There are 31 defendants, including eight companies and five individuals."
Last Monday, Kaski Police sent an investigation report to the District Attorney's Office, recommending that cases be filed for organised crime, money laundering, and cooperative fraud.
The Kaski District Attorney's Office filed additional charges against 19 people in District Court on Friday in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperative.
Khyam Narayan Lamichhane, acting registrar of the Kaski District Court, said, "An additional supplementary charge sheet was filed against 19 people, who were already named defendants."
According to him, the amount has risen slightly following the supplement charge. The previous figure was around Rs 1.11 billion, and 400 million has been added now. "The current total amount is around Rs 1.51 billion," he told THT .
Lamichhane and other defendants are accused of transferring funds to the Gorkha Media Network, which operated the Galaxy 4K Television, from the Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara, the Supreme Cooperative in Butwal, the Sahara Cooperative in Chitwan, the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative in Kathmandu, and the Sano Paila Cooperative in Parsa. GB Rai, Lamichhane, and Chhabi Lal Joshi were among the partners in the media company. After leaving the media company in June 2022, Lamichhane entered politics.
The report of the parliamentary investigation committee formed to investigate the cooperative fraud had recommended that the then managing director of Gorkha Media Pvt. Ltd., including Rabi Lamichhane, be held responsible for the money diverted from the cooperative and should be brought to book.
Lamichhane is currently in police custody in Kaski for alleged cooperative fund misappropriation.
Lamichhane has been in police custody since October 18 for allegedly embezzling funds from Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Savings and Cooperatives Limited. He was apprehended in Kathmandu and taken to Kaski. He is also under investigation for alleged misuse of cooperative funds in other districts, for which he was transported to Rupandehi, Kathmandu, Chitwan and Parsa for interrogation.
Meanwhile, debate has erupted over Lamichhane's status as a lawmaker. Clause 6 of Article 102 of the Constitution of Nepal states that if a member is arrested on a criminal charge, the concerned officer must notify the speaker.
According to the House of Representatives (HoR) Rules 2022, information about parliamentary meetings must be provided to the House immediately during the session and posted and made public during the non-session period.
Section 248 (3) of the HoR states, "If a member is detained for trial in a criminal case punishable by imprisonment for three years or more or for moral turpitude under the prevailing law and is in custody for trial, or if he is required to remain in custody for trial pursuant to a court order, but fails to remain in custody and absconds, s/he shall not be entitled to perform any act or enjoy any right or immunity as a member and shall remain suspended."
Ekram Giri, HoR's spokesperson, told THT that "we need letters or notices from relevant authorities stating Lamichhane charges and legal provisions, including the attorney's office or court, to inform the speaker and take any necessary actions."
