Kathmandu, Dec 23: Recording the statements of five defendants, including Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, accused of cooperative fraud, will begin at the District Court Kaski today.
On Sunday, the District Attorney’s Office in Kaski filed a case against Lamichhane and 31 others for cooperative fraud. Lamichhane is also facing charges of organized crime and money laundering.
Suraj Adhikari, the Information Officer of the District Court Kaski, said that the statements of Lamichhane, Chhabilal Joshi, and five other defendants presented before the court have started being recorded.
“The defendants’ statements will commence once the bench is finalized, and the detention order will be issued only after the statements are completed,” he stated.
According to the Attorney’s Office, a case has been filed against 63 individuals in connection with the embezzlement at Suryadarshan cooperative in Pokhara.
Shanti Devi Sharma, Assistant District Attorney of Kaski Office, informed that 19 people, including Lamichhane, have been implicated in organized crime. Additionally, Lamichhane, Ram Bahadur Khanal, Chhabilal Joshi, and Leela Pachai are facing charges of money laundering.
Lamichhane is accused of money laundering involving Rs 278.94 million, while Chhabilal Joshi is facing similar charges. Lamichhane was arrested in Kathmandu on October 18 for allegedly misappropriating cooperative funds. He is also under investigation in Kaski and other districts for mismanagement of cooperative funds.
The main orchestrator of the Suryadarshan cooperative fraud, GB Rai, and other suspects are currently on the run. #nepal #cooperatives #Rabi
