KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair Rabi Lamichhane, who has been in custody at the Kaski District Police Office since October 18 on charges of cooperative fraud, organized crime, and money laundering, began giving his statement in court on Thursday.
During the three-hour session, the former Home Minister refuted all allegations leveled against him, maintaining his denial as he did earlier with the police and government attorneys.
The District Government Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Lamichhane and 62 others in connection with the fraudulent activities of the Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara.
The money laundering case against Lamichhane involves a disputed amount of Rs 278 million. Despite these accusations, Lamichhane has repeatedly denied any involvement.
His statement, however, could not be completed on Thursday and will continue on Friday. Once all defendants’ statements are recorded, a hearing will be held to decide if they will be remanded in custody, released, or released on bail.
Earlier, statements from other key defendants, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi and Leela Pachhai, were recorded.
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