A three-member bench of tribunal Chairman Kedar Prasad Chalise and members Bhupendra Prasad Rai and Mohan Raman Bhattarai issued the order after hearings on whether or not to send Basnet into judicial custody. [break]
“Though Basnet urged the court to accept land in Biratnagar equivalent to the bail amount in value, the Special Court ordered him sent to jail until due process is completed,” said Special Court Registrar Dhir Bahadur Chand.
Basnet is accused of illegally acquiring Rs 116.1 million through extortion and illegal contracts and banking transactions, among other illegal activities.
According to sources, the three plots of lands offered in lieu of the bail amount are not in Basnet"s own name.
Basnet is also a central committee member of the CPN-UML youth wing, Youth Association of Nepal.
However, the judges ordered the release of Basnet"s wife Anju Singh Basnet against a court reapparance date as they did not find her involvement in the amassing of illegal property by her husband. Basnet and his wife had appeared before the Special Court in person following a court notice.
The Special Court had on May 21 asked the district courts concerned to summon Basnet, Ganesh Lama, Dipak Manange aka Rajib Gurung, Chakre Milan aka Milan Gurung and Abhishek Giri within 15 days. They have been charge-sheeted for amassing illegal property.
However, Lama, Milan and Giri are still absconding while Manange is serving a jail term for involvement in various criminal activities.
The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) on May 19 filed cases against them at the Special Court for amassing property equivalent to Rs 633 million through extortion and illegal contracts and banking transactions, among other illegal activities.
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