The AG´s office sent forwarded its advice to this effect on Monday after the Ministry of Finance sought its help on reinstatement of Bhattarai who was acquitted of corruption charges by the Supreme Court last Wednesday.
"NRB Act allows Bhattarai to claim the post after his acquittal by the court," Attorney General Dr Bharat Bahadur Karki, who is the chief legal advisor to the government, told myrepublica.com about his office´s recommendation to the Finance Ministry. "We have advised the ministry that the cabinet should decide on Bhattarai´s reinstatement."
The ministry had sought AG´s help after it could not take a decision on Bhattarai´s reinstatement as there is already a serving governor.
With the AG´s advice, the regular meeting of the cabinet scheduled for Wednesday is likely to take a decision on Bhattarai reinstatement.
Bhattarai was removed from the post after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case against him.
AG Karki has also cautioned the government to be serious while removing incumbent governor Deependra Bahadur Kshetry.
"We can´t go beyond the provision of NRB Act and have given our legal opinion based on that Act," Karki said.
Bhattarai´s tenure for the post of governor will end in February next year.
The then Maoist led government had appointed Kshetry to the post after an earlier verdict of the court convicted Bhattarai of corruption.
The CIAA had charged Bhattarai and then NRB Executive Director Surendra Man Pradhan with financial embezzlement worth Rs 24.5 million. Both Bhattarai and Shrestha were acquitted of the charges last week.
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