KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Ganesh Parajuli has said the recent visit visa scandal is not merely a corruption case but also a matter of human trafficking, warranting a serious and impartial investigation.
Speaking to journalists at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor on Tuesday, Parajuli accused the Ministry of Home Affairs of turning a blind eye to complaints of human trafficking and instead providing protection to those involved.
He claimed that state institutions were complicit in the operation that allegedly sold Nepali citizens abroad under the guise of visit visas, and therefore, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak’s resignation should not be seen solely as a matter of moral responsibility.
Parajuli further alleged that when the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) initiated investigations and attempted to arrest immigration officials linked to the scam, the Home Ministry intervened by transferring the accused overnight to protect them.
Given the widening scope of suspicion linking the Home Minister to the accused, Parajuli said that a resignation is necessary to ensure the minister is brought under the purview of a proper investigation.
He also demanded the formation of a high-level probe committee to investigate the case thoroughly and take strict action against those found guilty.
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