KATHMANDU, Dec 23: The statement-recording of five defendants, including the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, who are accused of cooperative fraud, has begun at the Kaski District Court on Monday.
Earlier on Sunday, the Kaski District Government Attorney’s Office (DGAO), filed a case against 31 people, including Lamichhane, on charges of cooperative fraud. A case has been registered against Lamichhane at the Kaski District Court on three charges - organized crime, cooperative fraud and money laundering.
The District Court Kaski Information Officer Suraj Adhikari said that the statement-recording of the five defendants who were presented to the court including Lamichhane, Chabilal Joshi has started. “ Once the bench is decided, the statements of the defendants will begin. The detention order will be issued only after the statements are completed,” he said. The DGAO said that a case has been filed against 63 people in the District Court of Kaski in the Pokhara-baseds Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case.
SC orders to summon defendants in tax settlement case linked to...
Shanti Devi Sharma, Assistant District Attorney of DGAO, said that 19 people, including Lamichhane, have been prosecuted for organized crime. She said that along with Lamichhane, a case has been filed against Ram Bahadur Khanal, Chhabilal Joshi and Leela Pachai for money laundering.
A case has been filed against Lamichhane for money laundering, claiming a compensation of Rs 278.94 million, and demanding a compensation of Rs 33.76 million for cooperative fraud.
The DGAO has sought compensation from the defendants, including Rs 143 million from Khanal, Rs 743.71 million from Joshi, and Rs 246.7 million from Pachai.
The DGAO said that a case has also been registered against other people accused of co-operative fraud, with the demand for punishment and compensation according to the crime.
RSP Chairman Lamichhane was arrested from Kathmandu on October 18 on the charge of embezzling the cooperative's savings. He is being investigated for co-operative fraud in other districts including Kaski. GB Rai, the main planner of the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud, and other accused are still absconding.
