Amid multi-tier investigations over the red passport scam, a latter sent by the Australian embassy in Kathmandu to Nepal Police asking for immigration records in connection with visas issued to lawmakers, mentions that Raya should have been in Australia till now as per Australian immigration records. [break]
“The letter says he does not seem to have returned to Nepal after landing in Australia last December,” said an official speaking to Republica on condition of anonymity.
Officials have confirmed on receiving the letter that somebody had succeeded in sneaking into Australia using the red passport belonging to Raya.
Republica tried to contact Raya on his cell phone number listed in the Parliament Secretariat telephone directory but someone identifying himself as a family member received the call and said the lawmaker has not gone abroad lately.
The disclosure concerning Raya, meanwhile, is followed by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Monday telling two other lawmakers implicated in the red passport scam, Gayatri Shah and BP Yadav, to present themselves before the anti-graft body within three days after investigations reportedly established their wrongdoing.
CIAA corresponded with Shah and Yadav on the heels of a report from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police, which has also been probing the scam.
According to CIAA Secretary Bhagabati Prasad Kafle, Shah and Yadav have been directed to appear for interrogations, and information about this has also been sent to CA chairman Subash Newbang.
Scam larger than apparent
CIB investigation officials said the scam could end up shamming many lawmakers. “Going by the findings of our investigations, over a dozen lawmakers could be implicated,” they said.
Officials added that some immigration officials are also found to have connived with racketeers in misusing red passports for flying persons other than lawmakers abroad. “We have ascertained the role of immigration officials and will incorporate this into a further report,” they said.
The lid came off the scam after two persons carring the red passports belonging to Shah and Yadav were turned back from Abu Dhabi last December while they were heading for Australia.
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