KATHMANDU, August 3: Nepali Congress leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has expressed suspicion that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal himself might be involved in the 100 kg gold smuggling case.

Addressing a program held in Kathmandu on Thursday, leader Koirala said that the involvement of the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) in the investigation of the gold smuggling case and the exclusion of the Nepal Police have raised suspicions.

He said that the Prime Minister Dahal's confidante (Nawa Raj Dhungana) was made the head of DRI and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police was not involved in the gold smuggling investigation. He said that the media should find the reason why the police was not involved in the investigation and only the DRI was involved.

He claimed that while the investigation into the gold smuggling case is going on, another case will emerge and the ongoing investigation into the gold smuggling case will be delayed. He said that the cases of fake Bhutanese refugees scam and Lalita Niwas land-grab scam have now been settled after the gold case. Leader Koirala suspected the involvement of top leaders in the gold case and said that efforts are being made to cover up the incident. He said lawlessness and impunity are increasing in the country. He insisted that it is not good for the country to give political cover to those who kill people.

He said, “Corruption has gripped the country and impunity is increasing. You kill people; you get away with political cover. The Supreme Court, High Courts, and the District Courts will have already decided. If we do not keep these things in order, the country will go towards chaos and it indeed is going now. Corruption has gripped the country in every sector. One issue comes out, advancing that issue, another issue comes, then the previous issue is sided. After the Bhutanese refugees scam, the Lalita Niwas land grab scam surfaced, then the Bhutanese refugee case was overlooked. The case is suddenly stopped because there is involvement of the top leaders. When the scandal surfaces, needless to say, it also disappears because someone higher up in position is involved. In the case of gold smuggling, Nepal's market isn’t that big. What is interesting in the gold scandal is that the CIB is not involved in the investigation. Only the DRI is involved. Earlier, the DRI was under the Ministry of Finance. When KP Sharma Oli was the Prime Minister, he brought it under the Prime Minister's Office, after Sher Bahadur Deuba became the PM, he didn’t reverse Oli’s decision. Now PM Dahal has not done that, either. The DG here was the PA of PM Dahal only seven days before the gold scandal. What is happening, where are we trying to reach?”

 
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