KATHMANDU, March 10: The Special Court on Thursday slapped former Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Badri Prasad Neupane, who was found guilty in the Fun-park lease scam, with a nine years jail term and a cash penalty of Rs 24.36 million.
According to Narad Prasad Bhattarai, registrar of the Special Court, Neupane has been charged with an additional amount equivalent to the cash fine. Neupane will have to serve a jail term of six months in addition.
Special Court slaps nine-year jail term and Rs 6 billion cash p...
On February 28, the joint bench of the Special Court Chairman Shreekant Poudel and the members Shaligram Koirala and Balbhadra Bastola convicted Neupane. Neupane has been found allegedly misappropriating over Rs 200 million of property owned by the Social Welfare Council (SWC).
In February 2019, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a case against 14 individuals including Neupane for his alleged involvement in making the decision in the capacity of the chairperson of the SWC to give the Bhrikuti Mandap-based land for the Fun Park on lease without calling for a tender. Neupane represented his party Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party in the Babu Ram Bhattarai-led government.
The Special Court has also fixed a cash penalty of Rs 12.18 million against former minister Tek Bahadur Gurung, who won the seat of parliament member in the general election from Manang. Gurung was found guilty for his involvement in the scam.
Among other defendants in the case, the Special Court grilled Pramod Mehata, immediate vice-chairman of council; Kunja Bihari Prasad Chaudhary, immediate treasurer; Rabindra Kumar, immediate member secretary; board members Mohan Raj Sharma, Madan Kumar Lal Karna and Hari Neupane and Fun Park operator Rabindra Gurung.
Mehata, Neupane, Sharma and Karna are slapped with eight years jail and cash penalty. Chaudhary and Gurung have been slapped with a cash penalty of Rs 24.36 million, while the Special Court has sought to recover equivalent amounts in addition from the convicted.
