Kathmandu — The Central Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Department of the CPN-UML and the National Cooperative Federation Limited Nepal have suggested to the Prime Minister and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli to amend some provisions of the ordinance brought to amend some Nepal Acts related to cooperatives through a replacement bill.
Khagaraj Adhikari, Chief of the Central Cooperatives Department of the UML and Chairman of the Federation Omdevi Malla have reached the Prime Minister’s residence and submitted separate suggestions to the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Oli has said that the issues presented through the replacement bill will be discussed and that the ruling party should also be consulted on the issues that have been drawn to the government’s attention.
Kathmandu – President of the Rastriya swatantra party Rabi Lamichhane has reached the Parliament Secretariat with a petition to lift his suspension from the post of MP.
Lamichhane is expected to meet Speaker Devraj Ghimire and request his suspension lifting, claiming that the suspension is illegal and against the rules of the House of Representatives.
The Parliament Secretariat suspended Lamichhane from his post as MP on Poush 8 after a case of money laundering was registered along with cooperative fraud.
RSP has already decided to protest the suspension of his post as MP in the House of Representatives meeting to be held today, saying that it was politically motivated.
Kathmandu: The government has established the National Cooperative Regulatory Authority to regulate savings and credit cooperatives.
The National Cooperative Regulatory Authority established in Pulchowk, Lalitpur was inaugurated by Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Balram Adhikari. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Minister Adhikari said that the authority should do its work based on the current needs and demands, and that cooperatives will be regulated and irregularities will be investigated once the authority is formed.
Since the authority is autonomous and empowered, there will be no interference from anywhere, and the office of the authority was established for the reform of the cooperative sector through an ordinance made to amend some Nepal Acts related to cooperatives.
The authority will regulate cooperatives that conduct savings and credit transactions within the jurisdiction of the federal, provincial and local levels. The authority has been given the power to take action against cooperatives that do not comply with the rules.
Kathmandu – Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane has been released from the Rupandehi District Court in the cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering case after posting a bail of Rs 10 million. Along with the order to release him on bail, the Rupandehi District Court has ordered to freeze the assets of Lamichhane and others who have been made defendants in the Supreme Cooperative Fraud case.
After the closed argument, the bench of Judge Pralhad Kumar Yogi ordered to freeze the assets in the order seeking a bail of Rs 10 million from Lamichhane.
The order states, ‘The assets in the names of the defendants mentioned in the indictment shall be frozen in their current status so that they cannot be transferred in any way in accordance with Rule 92 of the Civil Criminal Procedure Rules, 2075 BS, and a letter shall be sent to the concerned Land Revenue Offices requesting them to send a reply.’
Kaski- Rabi Lamichhane, president of the Rastriya swatantra Party and former managing director of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd., who was arrested in the Suryadarshan cooperative fraud case, has been released. He was released on Thursday evening after posting a bail of 6.5 million after the order of the District Court, Kaski.
After the detention hearing, the bench of Judge Nitij Rai had sought bail from Lamichhane. Lamichhane, who was arrested on cooperative fraud case was released after 84 days.
Even though the kaski court released him on bail, the Kathmandu District Court has already issued an arrest warrant against him.
An arrest warrant has been issued against Lamichhane in the case of embezzlement of billions of rupees from savers from the Swarnalakshmi cooperative operating in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-14. According to police sources, Lamichhane has been released as he will appear in Kathmandu District Court in person.
Kathmandu: The police have filed a report with the District Attorney’s Office demanding punishment for cooperative fraud and organized crime against 44 people, including Rastriya Swatantra party President Rabi Lamichhane, on charges of embezzlement of funds from the Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative Organization in Kalimati.
In the report with opinion submitted by the police to the Office of the Government Attorney, the police have demanded a compensation of Rs 1.19 billion 49 million 21 thousand 270 including the amount embezzled from the cooperative.
Police have stated that 44 people including Lamichhane, GB Rai, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, GB’s brother-in-law Deepak Lama, treasurer Kumar Ramtel and manager Navin Achhami involved in embezzlement of funds from Swarnalakshmi Cooperative have been filed as defendants.
690 people have filed 93 reports in the cooperative fraud case. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 2.65 billion 95 million 59 thousand 58 were misappropriated from 5,669 savers in the cooperative.
Similarly, Sabina Ale Magar, wife of student leader Dipesh Pun, has been made a defendant in the case. Police have also made a dozen other organizations that took loans from the cooperative as defendants. Police investigations have revealed that Rs 648 million 338 thousand 465 were transacted in Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. from the cooperative where the money was misappropriated.
Similarly, in the Surya Darshan cooperative fraud case in Pokhara, closed arguments are ongoing in the Kaski District Court in the case including former Managing Director of Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd. Lamichhane, former Vice President of Gorkha Media and former DIG Chhabilal Joshi. Kaski Police is of the opinion that they should be prosecuted for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
Kathmandu – The MP post of Rastriya Swatantra Party President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is set to be suspended. Lamichhane’s MP post will be automatically suspended after a case filed in court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
District Attorney Kamala Kafle of the District Government Attorney’s Office, Kaski, said that Lamichhane’s post will be suspended as per the act until the final decision of the case is made.
According to Section 27 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, an employee, officer or civil servant is automatically considered suspended until the final decision of the case is made. She also said that preparations are underway to send a letter to the Parliament Secretariat regarding the filing of a case in court.
Section 27 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act provides for automatic suspension. “If any official or employee of an organization established under the prevailing law or any civil servant is detained under this Act, such employee, official or civil servant shall be deemed to have been automatically suspended for the period of such detention and until the case is resolved.”
The District Attorney’s Office, Kaski, filed a case against 31 people, including Lamichhane, in the District Court, Kaski on Sunday. Three cases have been registered against them in the Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case in Pokhara. A case of cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering have been registered against Lamichhane, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, Leela Pachai, Ram Bahadur Khanal and Krishna Bahadur Gurung. According to the District Court, Kaski, a case has also been filed against eight companies. Similarly, the Office of the Public Prosecutor has suggested that the assets of 5 people should be confiscated.
The police had suggested that 1.5 billion rupees be recovered from 51 people, including Lamichhane, and that they be prosecuted for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering. The police investigation report states that Lamichhane will be sentenced to 4 to 6 years in prison for cooperative fraud, an additional 50 percent punishment for organized crime, and 2 to 15 years in prison and a fine for money laundering.
The District Attorney’s Office filed a supplementary charge sheet in court on Friday, adding additional offenses and amounts against 19 people accused of defrauding cooperatives last year. A case has been filed against the main mastermind of the cooperative fraud, GB Rai, for organized crime, money laundering and violations of the Rastra Bank Act.
Pokhara – Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane will be taken to the Kaski District Court today for case registration in the Cooperative Fraud case in Pokhara.
The District Government Attorney’s Office, Kaski, is preparing to file a case as per the opinion mentioned in the investigation report of the District Police Office. The police had given the opinion that 1.5 billion rupees should be recovered from 51 people including Lamichhane and that cases should be filed for cooperative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
In the case of Lamichhane, the police investigation report states that 4 to 6 years of imprisonment should be imposed for cooperative fraud, an additional 50 percent punishment for organized crime and 2 to 15 years of imprisonment and a double fine of the amount imposed for money laundering.
The District Attorney’s Office has filed a supplementary charge sheet in court on Friday, increasing the amount of charges against 19 people who were charged last year in the cooperative fraud case. GB Rai, the main mastermind of the cooperative fraud, has been charged with organized crime, money laundering and crimes against the Nepal Rastra Bank Act.
Along with Rabi, cases are also being filed against former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, Leela Pachai, Ram Bahadur Khanal and Krishna Bahadur Gurung.
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