KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister and Chair of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Madhav Kumar Nepal, has completed recording his statement at the Special Court on Wednesday in connection with the Patanjali land sale corruption case.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case against Nepal and 92 others on June 5, accusing them of misusing government land by allowing the sale and transfer of excess land to the Patanjali Yoga Peeth in Sanga, Kavre.
Nepal, who appeared at the court as soon as it opened in the morning, recorded his statement before a joint bench of Special Court Judges Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Bidur Koirala. The next stage of the legal process, a bail hearing, is expected to proceed after the court’s tea break.
Representing Nepal are senior advocates Shambhu Thapa, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, Govinda Bandi, Khamba Bahadur Khati, and others.
The CIAA has demanded a penalty and recovery of Rs 185.85 million from Nepal, alongside sentencing. Following the filing of the case, Nepal has been suspended from his position as a member of the House of Representatives.
The corruption charge relates to a 2009 cabinet decision, during Nepal’s tenure as Prime Minister, that allowed the land exchange in violation of the legal land ceiling. The CIAA alleges the decision led to the misuse of public property and caused significant financial loss to the state.
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