Kathmandu District Attorney's Office registered a charge-sheet against the footballers and a physiotherapist at the Special Court as per Clause 3(1) of the Crime against the State and Punishment Act, 2046. "The footballers and the physiotherapist were found to have accepted money from international agents in order to lose matches," said Special Court Registrar Bhadrakali Pokharel, citing the charge-sheet.
Last week, the Metropolitan Police Range Office had submitted its investigation report to the District Attorney's Office with a recommendation of treason charges as per Clause 3(3) of the Act and 10-year imprisonment or life terms.
According to Clause 3(3), if anyone perpetrates or attempts to perpetrate a conspiracy to jeopardize the sovereignty, integrity or national unity of Nepal with the help of a foreign state or organized force, he/she shall be liable for imprisonment of up to 10 years or for life.
But the District Attorney's Office cited Clause 3(1) of the Act. Clause 3(1) states that if someone causes or attempts to cause any disorder with an intention to jeopardize sovereignty, integrity or the national unity of Nepal, he/she shall be liable for life imprisonment.
"The court will now first record the statement of the accused and hearings in the case will then begin," said Registrar Pokharel. After the hearings, the court will decide whether to release them on regular bail or continue their custody pending further proceedings.
Five footballers, including national team skipper Sagar Thapa, were arrested on October 14 for alleged involvement in match-fixing during international fixtures. They were alleged to be acting under monetary inducements from bookies.
The other arrested are national players Sandeep Rai and Ritesh Thapa and two former Nepali internationals Anjan KC and Bikash Singh Chhetri. However, another accused, physiotherapist Devij Thapa, is suspected to be absconding in the USA.
In its charge-sheet, the District Attorney has claimed that Anjan, Ritesh and Devij were found to have engaged in financial transactions, Sagar was found to have met with the international agents and Bikash and Rai were found to have received money, clearly knowing that the amount was given for match-fixing.
The accused have been pleading innocent and remain hopeful that the court will bear them out.
Police investigations showed that the results of matches against Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Jordan, Malaysia, Iraq, Cameroon, the Philippines and Palestine, among others, were fixed over a period of time starting in 2008.
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