Ghimire has pointed directly at the Chief of Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport Khada Nanda Dhakal as the key person facilitating the safe passage of two persons in possession of tampered passports of lawmakers Gayatri Shah and BP Yadav.[break]
"I only followed his instruction. He phoned me to arrange an unchecked entry into the boarding lounge for the two," Ghimire told investigating officials during interrogations.
Ghimire has also named three other immigration officials -- Shyam Bahadur Bhandari, Indra Kumar Sharma and Devi Dutta -- as having played a part in letting the fake passport holders through. "They were all on duty along with me during the entry and exit of the two fake passport holders," sources quoted him as saying.
Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu (MPRK), which took up the case after Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested lawmakers Sah and Yadav following a two-month-long inquiry, has issued arrest warrants against Bhandari, Sharma and Dutta. They have been on the run after their names figured in the scam.
Ghimire´s statements recorded with both MPRK and Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) have been found identical. CIAA has already started grilling Dhakal based on Ghimire´s statements.
The lid came off the scam after one Prithivi Chantyal and an unidentified woman were sent back on January 18 from Abu Dhabi for possessing tampered red passports of Yadav and Sah respectively. They had flown from Kathmandu on January 16.
Both Sah and Yadav tried to dismiss the case mounting immense political pressure and trying to lead the investigations astray before they were finally arrested two weeks ago.
According to investigating officials, documents recovered from the residence of one Santosh Uprety, the purported point man of the racket, at least five other lawmakers are involved in the scam. Uprety has been at large.
Shiva Pujan Raya, who has refused to submit his suspected tampered red passport, despite a directive by CIB, could be another lawmaker who might fall in the police net, sources said. "There is clear evidence against him. Going by the immigration details provided by the Australian Embassy, he hasn´t returned to Nepal yet.
According to Passport Act 2024 BS, misuse of passports could lead up to a one-year jail term. If convicted, the two lawmakers would also lose their post while the immigration staffers would be punished under corruption laws.
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