BUTWAL, Oct 20: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has proceeded with the investigation process after a large sum of money of the general public was embezzled through Machhapuchchhre Bank's branchless service center in Rupandehi. A team including Dipak Adhikari, Deputy Director of NRB’s Payment Systems Department, Jeevan Prakash Pandey, Deputy Director of NRB, Bhairahawa, and Assistant Director Bibek Budhathoki, arrived in Bhairahawa on Monday. The team has started questioning the agent, manager and locals of the center regarding the condition of the service center and the embezzlement of funds through the service center.
NRB Deputy Director Dipak Adhikari, who came to the site for an on-site study, said that Machhapuchchhre Bank applied to close the service center after the money embezzlement incident came to light.
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Machhapuchchhre Bank started operating a branchless service center at Sammarimai Rural Municipality-5 Roinihawa from August 10, 2017. After the incident of embezzlement of millions of rupees of the customers through the service center became public, the bank has submitted an application to NRB to close the service center.
The NRB team arrived at the service center on Monday to investigate the same application. The team has questioned service center agents, managers and victims. During the interrogation, it is said that the preliminary details of the embezzlement of nearly Rs 15 million of the general public have been received. The representative of the team said that since the initial study is still in progress, it is not possible to divulge further details right now. Locals have claimed that the number of victims and embezzled amount is much more than what is being reported at present.
