Kathmandu, July 5, 2007

Special Court today sent the suspended governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank, Bijaya Nath Bhattarai, into police custody for the night so that he could be presented before the court for tomorrow’s hearing at 10 am.

A three-member bench, comprising chairing judge Bhoop Dhoj Adhikary, judges Komal Nath Sharma and Cholendra SJB Rana, issued the order.

Arguing on behalf of the CIAA, the government lawyers said governor Bhattarai and executive director Surendra Man Pradhan were responsible for the loss of Rs 24.5 million incurred by the NRB by terminating the contract with the IEF INC Lloyd Hill Oakton, USA in Association with KPMG of Sri Lanka last year.

Responding to the court order issued on Monday, Bhattarai presented himself before the court this morning and recorded his statements refuting the CIAA charges. He claimed that the CIAA was dragging him into a false case. Bhattarai stated that NRB had not incurred a loss of Rs 24.5 million as claimed by the CIAA. He also claimed that there were no irregularities while terminating the contract.

The CIAA had also claimed that the governor had terminated the agreement but had not claimed Rs 19.5 millions from KPMG. Following the order, Registrar Lekhnath Neupane sent Bhattarai to the Metropolitan Police Circle, Singha Durbar. He allowed him to keep two personal security officers as per his request. Registrar also let him go to the police circle on his own vehicle as per his request.

Maoists not keeping word on seized land

Taplejung, July 5, 2007

Displaced people who had returned to their villages have come back to the district headquarters after the Maoists did not allow them to repair their houses.

Ganga Chundal, a resident of Nesam of Chage VDC, who returned to his village after staying displaced for five years in Taplejung, said, “I came back to the district headquarters after the Maoists did not let me repair my house.

The Maoists not only used my house as a dharmasala but also stopped me from felling trees on my land. So, I am forced to take shelter in a relative’s house in the district headquarters.” “I have nothing in my house except a container made of bamboo.

Though I own 53 ropanis, the Maoists did not allow me to fell my trees saying it was public land. I showed my land ownership certificate, but they threatened to break my legs if I felled the trees,” he said, adding that the Maoists did not return his property worth Rs 10 lakh.

Like Chundal, most of the people who returned to the village are complaining that the Maoists are not returning the seized land and property. “The Maoists are cheating people and just making false promises of returning all the moveable and immovable property,” Bhim Samyu, another displaced of Khawang VDC, said, adding that the Maoists are still threatening and beating up people.