KATHMANDU, Dec 3: Former deputy prime minister and home minister Rabi Lamichhane, who is also the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has been sent to Pokhara after undergoing interrogation in Kathmandu for three days.
The District Government Attorney's Office (DGAO) in Kathmandu took three days to record Lamichhane's statement, after which he was sent back to Pokhara this morning on a Buddha Air flight.
He was brought to Kathmandu from Pokhara on Thursday for interrogation into his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funds from Swarnalaxmi Cooperative. The statement-taking at the DGAO began on Friday and was completed only on Monday.
During his statement, Lamichhane denied any involvement in the cooperative fraud. According to an employee, he stated that although he was the managing director of Gorkha Media, he had no knowledge of where Chairman GB Rai had obtained the funds from.
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Lamichhane was arrested in Kathmandu on October 18 and taken to Pokhara on charges of embezzling funds from Suryadarshan Cooperative.
In the meantime, Lamichhane was also taken to Butwal for investigation into his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funds from Supreme Cooperative. He is also accused of embezzling funds from the Sahara Cooperative in Chitwan.
After a complaint was filed against Lamichhane in Chitwan, he was taken there for interrogation. On November 20, a supplementary complaint was registered in Chitwan regarding the embezzlement of funds from Sahara Chitwan Cooperative Limited.
As the Chitwan District Court has issued an arrest warrant, preparations are underway to take him to Chitwan.
The funds from Sano Paila Cooperative in Birgunj also appear to have been transferred to Gorkha Media. However, no complaint has been filed against Lamichhane there as of now.
After being arrested in Kathmandu and taken to Kaski, Rabi Lamichhane had previously been interrogated in Rupandehi and Kathmandu.
Previously, former DIG Chhabi Lal Joshi and Ram Bahadur Khanal were also taken to Chitwan for interrogation.
