KATHMANDU, Nov 18: The police will be investigating the currently detained chairman of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane for illegally sending money abroad (hundi) to the US while staying in Nepal.
According to a high-ranking police source, a large amount of money was deposited into Lamichhane's bank account in Nepal. However, as there is no record of where the money was spent after being withdrawn, an investigation is being initiated regarding this matter.
A police officer involved in the investigation said, “When checking his bank account, it appears that a large sum of money has been deposited, but the record where it has been spent does not appear. For this reason, an investigation is necessary to find out where the money has been spent.” Police estimated that Lamichhane may have illegally sent the money from his account to the US to solve family problems.
Mukul Dhakal, the then general secretary of RSP, had publicly stated that Lamichhane may have had a ‘hundi transaction’. Dhakal claimed that a person named Mohan Thapa in the US had mobilized the money sent by Lamichhane through Hundi. Police have proceeded with the investigation based on this statement.
Lamichhane's ex-wife Isha Lamichhane had publicly disclosed five years ago through an article that Lamichhane had regularly sent money to pay the installments of mortgage of their house in the US.
Nepalis in South Korea, Israel still remitting money thru Hundi
The Department of Money Laundering Investigation has also conducted an investigation into Lamichhane’s assets. The Kaski police have already issued correspondence to the banks where Lamichhane has active accounts to freeze all the properties belonging to him.
Lamichhane will be brought from Pokhara to Kathmandu for investigation in the fraud case. The Kathmandu District Court issued an arrest warrant against Lamichhane on Sunday for the criminal charge of misappropriating the funds of Swarnalaxmi Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society in Kathmandu. A single bench of Judge Shishir Raj Dhakal of the court dispatched the arrest warrant. An arrest warrant was issued against 24 people including Lamichhane's business partner and president of Swarnalaxmi Cooperative GB Rai and another partner Chhabilal Joshi on October 29. Rai is currently absconding, while Lamichhane and Joshi are in the custody of the District Police Office in Kaski.
Two other persons have been arrested for embezzling the funds of Swarnalaxmi Cooperative. The arrested individuals include Kamal Lama of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-6 and Sunita Newa of Kathmandu Metropolitan City -31.
Around 645 savers filed a complaint with the police to investigate the misappropriation of funds in the case of Swarnalaxmi cooperative. The preliminary investigation of the police has concluded that Rs 1.11 billion deposits were embezzled from the cooperative. While investigating this matter, the then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) at District Police Range (DPR), Kathmandu, Bhupendra Khatri, was transferred elsewhere. Although he was transferred, the current SSP Basant Rajaure at the DPR too had sought an order from the court for an arrest warrant against Lamichhane.
The DPR continued the investigation into this matter. Based on the investigation, the Kathmandu District Court granted permission to arrest Lamichhane.
Swarnalaxmi Cooperative, with its central office in Kalimati, Kathmandu Metropolitan City-14, has opened branches in New Road, Maharajgunj, Swayambhu, and Jorpati. The cooperative has collected a total of Rs 2.65 billion from 6,669 members. Among them, 645 individuals have filed complaints with the police, alleging that their savings of RS 1.11 billion have been embezzled through collusion between the cooperative’s management and staff.
According to the DPR, the court granted permission to arrest 25 of the accused for investigation based on the complaint filed by the victim to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the police as well as the report from the Parliamentary Investigation Committee on Cooperative Frauds.
Along with Lamichhane and Joshi, the arrest warrants were issued against Swarnalaxmi Cooperative’s Vice-chair Devendra Babu Rai, Treasurer Kumar Ramtel, Secretary Iran Lama, Joint Secretary Kabita Lama, members Hemanta Adhikari and Rabina Rimal, former members of the cooperative's loan subcommittee Suraj Shrestha, former Treasurer Meera Bamjan, former Joint Secretary Maya Rai and the former Manager Nabin Achhami.
Similarly, arrest warrants have also been dispatched against former directors Deepak Lama, Sabina Ale Magar, Bhakta Bahadur Bholan, Yam Kumar Nalbo, Raju Baral, Punam Kumar Chalise, Pradeep Lama, Sabita Lama, Ganesh Raj Shrestha, Sunita Newa, Shanti Kumari Subedi, Roman Kafle, Kamal Lama, and former loan sub-committee member Raju Baral.
Based on the report of the parliamentary special investigation committee, Joshi, and Lamichhane are currently under police custody in Kaski for the investigation. The police are investigating the accused, including Lamichhane and Joshi, for offenses related to cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
The report of the parliamentary investigation special committee pointed that the savings of Swarnalaxmi of Kathmandu, Suryadarshan Saving & Credit Cooperative of Pokhara, Supreme cooperative of Rupandehi, Sahara Cooperative of Bharatpur and Sano Paila Saving & Credit Co-op of Birgunj, were embezzled by transferring them to the Gorkha Media Network. Police said that Lamichhane is expected to be taken to Chitwan and Parsa after Kathmandu for affidavits.
