Govt authorities trying to exonerate Esewa from charge of carrying out illegal bitcoin business

Published On: June 26, 2020 05:26 PM NPT By: Sunil Sapkota

KATHMANDU, June 26: It has been revealed that government authorities have tried to exonerate Esewa – a digital wallet company – from the charge of carrying out the business of banned crypto currency ‘bitcoin’ in Nepal.

Nepal Police and the Office of the Attorney General have worked in cahoots to save Esewa from the charges of operating the illegal business of ‘bitcoin’ in Nepal by presenting Asgar Ali, chief executive officer of Esewa, as a government witness before the court.

These authorities presented Ali, who is also the IT advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, as the government witness to exonerate Esewa from the charges.

According to government authorities, though the Nepal Rastra Bank has banned the transaction of ‘bitcoin’ in Nepal, Nepal Police and Office of the Attorney General presented Ali as the government witness, rather than presenting him as a defendant. They say that the government tried to save Esewa as Ali is the IT advisor to PM Oli.

Earlier on Thursday, an online portal Nepallive.com reported that government authorities tried to purge Asgar Ali from the charge of carrying out the illegal business of ‘bitcoin’ in Nepal by presenting him as a government witness.

Though the evidence found during the investigation proves that Esewa has been involved in the illegal business, the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police and the District Attorney Office filed a charge-sheet aimed at saving the PM's IT advisor from any charges.

According to legal experts, it is an irony that Ali, who should have been presented as a defendant, has been presented as a government witness at the court.

Ali was presented before the Kathmandu District Court as a government witness. As a government witness, Asgar told the court that Esewa has not been involved in any illegal business of crypto currency in Nepal.

Meanwhile, a defendant told the court that Esewa has been involved in the illegal business of crypto currency in Nepal. “I used to receive money from the bitcoin business through Esewa,” Madhav Khanal, a defendant, told the court.

According to advocate Sushil Adhikari, Ali has been presented as a government witness against the law.. “Esewa has been accused of carrying out the illegal business in Nepal. So how can the CEO of the company be presented as a government witness?” questioned Adhikari, adding that the court should take the case seriously.