KATHMANDU: Closed-door proceedings on the cooperative fraud case involving former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and the chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) are scheduled to start today at the Kaski District Court. The legal actions taken against him and the other accused will be decided by the hearings.
Before the hearing, the court will use a lottery system to assign a bench of judges. The assigned bench will decide whether Lamichhane and the other accused will be released on bail or face trial.
The Kaski District Attorney’s Office filed the case on Sunday, accusing Lamichhane, former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, and 44 others of cooperative fraud. Five of the defendants have been named solely for the purpose of asset confiscation.
Lamichhane is charged with money laundering, coordinated fraud, and organized crime. According to police investigations, Surya Darshan Cooperative had Rs 1.51 billion embezzled, of which Rs 54.8 million had allegedly been transferred to Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd.
Lamichhane is particularly charged with defrauding the cooperative of Rs 33.765 million and laundering Rs 278.944 million, as stated by the Kaski District Attorney's Office. These claims are a component of a larger financial malfeasance probe.
In connection with the case, which has garnered a lot of legal and public interest because of its high profile and the scope of the alleged fraud, Lamichhane was taken into custody in Kathmandu on October 18.
