KATHMANDU: In connection with his remand in a cooperation fraud case, former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is scheduled to appear at the Rupandehi District Court today for a further hearing. Two attorneys for the victims have yet to make comments, thus Lamichhane must appear in court even though the government prosecutors have finished their arguments.
Lamichhane, the Rastriya Swatantra Party leader, appeared in court on Wednesday to address allegations that he worked with the Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperative to commit fraud. His release on bond, which included a commitment to abide by any future court orders, was the result of his wife, Nikita Poudel, and his legal team.
The cooperative faces accusations of embezzling Rs 861.8 million from 1,831 depositors. While the initial case against the cooperative was filed in April, Lamichhane’s name was added in a supplementary complaint due to his alleged involvement.
Investigations revealed that Rs 142.9 million from the cooperative was transferred to Gorkha Media Network Pvt. Ltd., and Rs 20 million was taken as a loan in Lamichhane’s name, which formed the basis of the charges against him. Police claim these transactions were part of the fraudulent activities.
For similar charges of cooperative fraud, Lamichhane previously paid bail of Rs 6.5 million in Kaski and Rs 6 million in Kathmandu. He is under increased scrutiny as a result of his prior instances and his escalating legal troubles.
Lamichhane is anticipated to appear before courts in Chitwan and Parsa, where more arrest warrants have been filed against him, after today's events in Rupandehi. His legal issues seem to span several districts, indicating a convoluted legal process to come.
As a former minister and party leader, Lamichhane's political prominence has brought the subject a lot of public attention. Allegations of rampant financial mismanagement have raised questions about governance and responsibility in cooperatives.
The severity of Lamichhane's alleged deception and ongoing legal actions underscore the gravity of the allegations. His legal troubles are going to be closely watched since they affect his political career and public trust.
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