The District Government Attorney’s Office, Kathmandu, filed a case on Sunday, January 5, at the Kathmandu District Court against Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane and 38 others. They have been accused of embezzling funds from the Swarnalaxmi Multipurpose Cooperative.
The defendants include Lamichhane, a former board member of Gorkha Media Pvt. Ltd.; former vice-chairman of Gorkha Media, Chhabilal Joshi; Swarnalakshmi Cooperative Chairman Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai; Vice-Chairman Devendra Babu Rai; Treasurer Kumar Ramtel; and Secretary Iran Lama among others.
Read: Will the Ordinance Solve the Problems of the Cooperative Sector?
The case seeks to recover Rs 1.19 billion from the accused.
This filing follows another case registered on December 22 by the District Government Attorney’s Office in Kaski against 31 individuals, including Lamichhane. Charges in the Kaski case include cooperative fraud against all accused, organized crime charges against 19, and money laundering charges against four. Lamichhane, a former deputy prime minister and home minister, faces all three charges.
Read: Government Centralizes Authority to Regulate Cooperatives after Six Years
Read: Recovery of Funds from Cooperatives Unlikely as their Liabilities Exceed Assets
The Federal Parliament suspended Lamichhane as a lawmaker representing Chitwan Constituency-2, a day after the Kaski case was filed. The Kaski allegations center on financial irregularities involving the Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Savings and Cooperatives.
Lamichhane, a television personality-turned-politician, has been in police custody since October 18. Arrested from his party office in Kathmandu and immediately transferred to Kaski, he remains under investigation for similar allegations in other districts as well.
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