During the visit, CoAS Rana will urge the British authorities to release Col Kumar Lama of the Nepal Army (NA), who detained in London last year over alleged human rights violation during the decade-long Maoist insurgency, army sources said.[break]
CoAS Rana is also likely to meet Col Lama. “CoAS Rana will have an informal meeting (with Col Rana), but it is not scheduled yet,” NA Spokesperson Brig Gen Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel, said in a press conference held at NA headquarters on Thursday.
Col Lama, who was booked under the British Criminal Justice Act, was later released on the condition that he would not leave the UK until a British court issued the final verdict on the case.
Lama was released after depositing a bail amount of 10,000 pound sterling after assurance of the Nepal government to the UK authorities through diplomatic channels that he would not be provided with travel documents until the court´s final verdict.
The government had sought diplomatic talks with the UK government to hire less expensive law firm in order to defend Rana. A law firm, Kingsley Nepley, had demanded over Rs 57.2 million to fight the case. According to NA sources, government authorities have planned to hire less expensive law firm to fight the case.
According to Brig Gen Pokhrel the visit will help strengthen the long and traditional ties between the countries and the armies. CoAS Rana will also meet Nepali Ambassador to the UK Dr Suresh Chandra Chalise, Chief of the Defence Staff Nikolas Houghton, Foreign Common Wealth Office Minister Hugo Swire and DFID staff Chirs Murgatroyd.
He will also visit Defence Academy, Royal College of Defence Studies and Defence Explosives Ordnance Disposal Munitions and Search Training Regiment.
British army chief Gen Wall had visited Nepal last November and had invited CoAS Rana to visit the UK. CoAS Rana will be accompanied by Director of the Directorate General of Military Training (DGMT) Major General Victor Rana and an ADC staff of CoAS Rana.
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