KATHMANDU, May 19: The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) on Sunday filed cases against five notorious gangsters at the Special Court for amassing properties through illegal sources.
Those absconding are Ganesh Lama, Dipak Manange aka Rajib Gurung, Parshuram Basnet aka Krishna Basnet, Chakre Milan aka Milan Gurung and Abhishek Giri. DoMLI has accused them of amassing properties through extortions, illegal contracts and banking transactions, among other illegal activities. [break]
According to the Special Court Registrar Dhir Bahadur Chand, Lama has been accused of illegally amassing Rs 270 million, Manange Rs 147.3 million, Basnet Rs 116.1 million, Milan 70.7 million and Giri Rs 29.4 million from unknown sources.
DoMLI has asked the Special Court to slap on them one to four years in jail along with confiscation of the illegally amassed properties and a fine equivalent to the same amount as per the Clause 3 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2064.
Lama´s wife Laxmi Lama, his father Pasang Lama and mother Ranju Lama have also been made defendants in the case. Similarly, Manange´s wife Pasang Dolma Gurung, Basnet´s wife Anju Singh Basnet, Milan´s Indira Ghale Gurung and Giri´s wife Anisha Giri have also been made defendants.
DoMLI, in the case, has demanded that land owned by Manange´s wife in Kathmandu and Nuwakot districts be seized. Also, DoMLI has asked the Special court to seize two SUVs, among other movable and immovable properties illegally acquired by Basnet.
Likewise, the department has demanded that 50 tolas of gold, a jeep and other movable immovable properties amassed by Milan also be confiscated.
Similarly, DoMLI has demanded confiscation of a house built in 10 dhur of land in Biratnagar and plot with area of 10 dhur in Morang owned by Giri.
DoMLI, in the case, has stated that all the accused, except Milan, are at large. Milan is currently in jail for involvement in drug smuggling.
Registrar Chand said the Special Court will send a notice to the absconding accused to appear before the court. “Then the court will set dates for hearing on the cases,” he added.
According to Chand, the Special Court has already issued verdicts on 11 out of 22 cases related to money laundering. “The government has won in most of cases settled by the Special Court,” he told Republica.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) had submitted reports about involvement of the five gangsters in money laundering to DoMLI following a lengthy investigation.
Lama is a central committee member of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D)-led by former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar while Basnet is the central committee member of CPN-UML´s youth wing, Youth Association Nepal.
Acknowledging that he has also inducted goons in the party, Gachchhadar had publicly said, “If a robber like Ratnakar can transform into Balmiki why can Lama not transform into a good person?”
Similarly, Abhishek is close to Nepali Congress (NC) and Manage is reportedly close to Rastriya Prajatantra Party and NC.
Related story
CIAA files graft case against ex-BPKIHS VC Balbhadra Prasad Das...
