KATHMANDU: The District Court Kaski has begun recording the statements of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, along with five other defendants, in connection with a cooperative fraud case.
The District Attorney Office, Kaski, had filed charges on Sunday against Lamichhane and 31 others for alleged involvement in cooperative fraud. Lamichhane also faces charges of organized crime and money laundering.
According to District Court Kaski’s Information Officer, Suraj Adhikari, the process of recording statements commenced following the presentation of Lamichhane, Chhabilal Joshi, and five others in court.
“The detention order will be issued after the completion of the statement recording,” Adhikari said.
The case centers on the embezzlement of funds from the Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara. The Attorney’s Office has filed cases against 63 individuals so far.
Among them, 19, including Lamichhane, are charged with organized crime. Additionally, Lamichhane, Ram Bahadur Khanal, Chhabilal Joshi, and Leela Pachai face accusations of money laundering.
Lamichhane is specifically accused of money laundering involving Rs. 278.94 million. He was arrested in Kathmandu on October 18 and is under investigation in multiple districts, including Kaski, for allegedly mismanaging cooperative funds.
The mastermind behind the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud, GB Rai, and several other accused remain at large. Investigations into the cooperative’s fraudulent activities continue.
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