KATHMANDU: CPN-UML Vice Chair Bishnu Prasad Paudel has been presented before Nepal’s anti-money laundering authorities after being arrested in Surkhet in connection with a money laundering investigation.
Paudel, who was detained on Monday from the premises of Shubha Hotel in Birendranagar, Surkhet, was brought to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj on Tuesday morning and produced before the Department of Money Laundering Investigation.
According to officials, the department had requested the District Police Office in Surkhet to arrest Paudel as part of an ongoing investigation under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
He was taken into custody while attending a UML election review and organizational restructuring program at the hotel. Following his arrest, Paudel was kept overnight at a police barracks in Nepalgunj before being flown to Kathmandu for further questioning.
Authorities have now begun formal investigations into allegations of money laundering. The government has accused Paudel of maintaining financial dealings and close associations with businessman Deepak Bhatta, who is currently in custody.
The arrest has triggered sharp political reactions, with UML leaders describing the move as politically motivated, while investigators maintain that the action is part of a legal inquiry.
Further details of the case and the scope of the investigation are yet to be made public.
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