KATHMANDU: Thousands of banking crime cases are currently pending at various stages of Nepal’s legal system, from the Nepal Police to the Government Attorney’s Office and the courts, according to a recent report from the Attorney General’s Office for the fiscal year 2023-24.
The report reveals that over 16,000 banking crime cases were registered, investigated, and are being processed in different stages. Last year alone, 13,263 banking crime cases were filed in police offices across the country.
Among these, six cases were registered in the Central Investigation Bureau, 7,656 in the Kathmandu Valley, 1,104 in Koshi Province, 1,016 in Madhesh Province, 738 in Bagmati Province, 1,082 in Gandaki Province, 1,178 in Lumbini Province, 286 in Karnali Province, and 297 in Sudurpaschim Province.
Out of the cases registered at the Attorney General’s Office, 103 resulted in guilty verdicts, while defendants were acquitted in 68 cases. Additionally, 500 cases are still pending in the Attorney General’s Office for the current fiscal year.
The report also notes that out of 703 cases registered in high government attorney’s offices in the previous fiscal year 2022-23 and the last fiscal year 2023-24, 192 banking offense cases were established, while 140 accused individuals were acquitted.
The joint attorney ordered reconciliation in 22 banking offense cases last year. Additionally, the Special Government Attorney’s Office filed 19 banking offense cases during the same period.
The report highlights that district government attorney’s offices across the country prosecuted 11,067 cases last fiscal year. However, decisions were made not to prosecute in 3,136 of those cases. Of the 15,045 banking offense cases pending in the District Attorney’s Offices, offenses were established in 3,249 cases, while 301 defendants in 290 cases were acquitted.
In the last fiscal year, 1,106 banking offense cases involving 1,114 defendants were withdrawn from the District Attorney’s Offices. However, 10,400 banking offense cases involving 10,547 defendants could not proceed.
The report also mentions that five banking offense cases, which included claims of organized crime, remained unresolved at the end of the fiscal year.
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