KATHMANDU: A parliamentary probe panel investigating a cooperative fraud case has discovered that the company linked to GB Rai and current Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane received Rs 630 million in loans from the Pokhara-based Supreme Cooperative.

Surya Thapa, the coordinator of the probe committee, confirmed the information.

According to Thapa, Gorkha Media, where Home Minister Lamichhane was once involved, received Rs 109.9 million.

On Friday, the committee held discussions with Eknarayan Aryal, Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Inspector General of Police Basanta Bahadur Kuwar, Chief of the Central Investigation Bureau Shyam Lal Gyawali, and Chief of the Department of Crime Investigation Tek Bahadur Tamang as part of the investigation.

During the meeting, police officials reported that 55,410 people have filed fraud complaints against 503 cooperatives.

Of these, police have completed investigations into 98 complaints, and cases have been filed in court.

Most complaints, over 40,000, were registered in Kathmandu. Of the 1,150 defendants, police have arrested 294, while 856 are still at large.