Probe report of refugee scam submitted to attorney's office

Kathmandu, May 23: After 57 days of police investigation on fake Bhutanese refugee case, Nepal Police has submitted detailed investigation report to the District Government Attorney Office (DGAO), Kathmandu on Monday.

Counting the first arrest day of the persons allegedly involved in the case on March 26, Kathmandu District Police Range on Monday submitted the report to the DGAO drafting the investigation report against 16 arrested persons, including former Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi of CPN-UML. Additional 17 others have been reported as fugitives, said police.

Nepal Police has given the opinion that 32 persons, including former DPM Rayamajhi, former Home 

Minister Bal Krishna Khand, who are allegedly involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, should be prosecuted under three crimes mainly crime against the state, fraud and organised crime, Senior Superintendent of Police and Chief of Kathmandu Police Range Dan Bahadur Karki told The 

Rising Nepal.

“The police submitted the report on Monday afternoon reaching the DGAO providing opinion that all 32 persons, including 16 arrested individuals, be prosecuted under three separate crimes,” SSP Karki said. 

SSP Karki also said that even though the investigation report of those who have been accused in the case has been submitted to the Attorney Office, the investigation of additional individuals will continue. 

SSP Karki said that the case’s further study and investigation would not stop in the middle after the police submitted the report on Monday.

The police have also given the opinion to send a written report to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for investigating the corruption issues of those who have held public positions before. 

Similarly, the police have also given an opinion to send a written report to the Department of Money Laundering Investigation for investigation into cases for persons other than those holding public positions, said police.

After studying the police report, the DGAO will file a case against them in the Kathmandu District Court. The report has, however, not mentioned anything about whether they should be prosecuted under the misuse of official documents and government seals.

Opinion to claim Rs. 275 million as losses 

Nepal Police has given their opinion that the case should be filed against 33 persons involved in the case of fake refugees and has concluded that the District Government Attorney Office should seek Rs. 275 million as property equivalent to losses in the case. Based on the 23 joint complaints filed by 113 victims, the police investigation report states that an amount equivalent to the amount need to be recovered.

During the investigation, for the time being, the transactions of Rs. 275 million was seen, said police.  

Eight-member team to study report

Meanwhile, the DGAO has formed an eight-member team to study the investigation report on the fake Bhutanese refugee case. “An 8-member team has been formed to register a case against those arrested in the fake Bhutanese refugee case at the District Court,” said Joint-Attorney Achyut Mani Neupane, and Chief of the Office.

He said that the case would be registered in District Court Kathmandu by Tuesday after studying the report for 24 hours. He said that the name of the members of the team could not be disclosed.  

Police had so far, detained CPN (UML) lawmaker and secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, his son Sandeep, former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and his aide Narendra KC, former Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal's security expert Indrajit Rai, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and former Nepali Congress lawmaker Angtawa Sherpa.  

Similarly, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Gurung, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Ram Sharan KC, Govinda Chaudhary, Nepal Hajj Committee Chairman Shamsher Miyan and refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal have been arrested by the police.

16 still absconding Prateek Thapa and Niraj Rai are high-profile among the 14 absconders, while others are ordinary people. Prateek is the son of then Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’. Niraj is the son of Indrajit Rai. Both of them absconded after the arrest warrant was issued.

Other absconding accused are Keshav Tuladhar, Ashok Pokharel, Laxmi Maharjan, Dhiren Rai, Mohan Rai, Deepa Humagain, Sunil Budhathoki, Binita Limbu, Niranjan Kharel, Rajesh Aryal, Haribhakta Maharjan, Ashish Budhathoki, Gokul Thapa and Rama Thapa. Among them, Ashok Pokharel was found by the police in America.