Probe into additional cases on Lamichhane initiated

Kathmandu, Oct. 31: During the investigation of the Surya Darshan Cooperative fraud case in Pokhara, the police in Kaski have initiated a probe into additional cases linked to Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President, Rabi Lamichhane, who is currently in custody.

Following investigations into the Supreme Cooperative in Butwal and Sahara Cooperative in Chitwan, the police have also begun examining alleged fraud cases involving Sano Paila Cooperative in Birgunj and Swarnalaxmi Cooperative in Kathmandu.

According to the Special Parliamentary Investigation Committee’s report, the five cooperatives under the leadership of JB Rai were found to have illegally transferred Rs. 655.4 million into Gorkha Media Network, where Lamichhane served as both shareholder and managing director.

Among these five cooperatives, lawsuits have already been filed in court against some defendants in four of them. However, Lamichhane was not named as a defendant in these cases. Now, the police are preparing to submit additional charges in the cases already filed and have reopened files that were previously left without investigation.

During the Surya Darshan Cooperative investigation, Lamichhane’s business partner Chhabilal Banjade Joshi was also detained by the Kaski District Police. Another warrant has also been issued against Lamichhane in connection with the Supreme Cooperative fraud case in Butwal.

Meanwhile, the investigations into Sahara in Chitwan, Sano Paila in Birgunj, and Swarnalaxmi in Kathmandu, all part of the JB Group, continue, with Lamichhane prone to be implicated in these cases as well.

The parliamentary investigation revealed that over Rs. 80 million from Sano Paila Cooperative was funneled into Gorkha Media Network. 

Through the second phase of the investigation, police are now preparing to list Lamichhane, Chhabilal Banjade Joshi, and others as defendants. Although JB Rai was named as a defendant in the first phase, he remains at large as of today. Other defendants, including the former Vice-president of Sano Paila, were released on bail.

With one case after another coming under scrutiny, Lamichhane’s custody period is likely to be extended. After concluding the investigation in Kaski, the police plan to take him to Butwal, where the court has already granted approval to probe the Supreme Cooperative fraud case.

With court permission already obtained, the police are preparing to transfer Lamichhane to Butwal after concluding the Kaski investigation. Banjade, former Vice-president of Gorkha Media, who was detained in the Surya Darshan fraud case, has already been interrogated and grilled in Butwal. The Area Police Office in Butwal is also preparing to bring Lamichhane for statement.

Kaski Superintendent of Police, Shyam Babu Oliya, talking to The Rising Nepal on Wednesday said, “We have a court-approved detention period until Wednesday. For any further extensions, we will present him to the court only after Tihar. The recording of statements is still ongoing. Since the statements are incomplete, we will not transfer him to Butwal yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rupandehi police are awaiting the conclusion of the Surya Darshan investigation in Pokhara. “If Kaski District Police wraps up the investigation and files the case in court, we will bring him to Butwal. If it takes more time, we’ll bring him after his statements are complete there,” said a Rupandehi police official. “We have not yet formally requested the transfer of Lamichhane.”

The first phase of the Butwal investigation has already concluded, with charges filed against JB Rai and others. However, Lamichhane, who was the Home Minister at the time, was not listed as a defendant. The initial charge sheet did reveal an unauthorised transfer of Rs. 20 million under Lamichhane’s name.

The police are now preparing to file additional charges in the second phase against him, which will include charges for cooperative fraud as well as organised crime. In the Supreme Cooperative fraud case, an arrest warrant has also been issued against Suraksha Adhikari, wife of RSP Deputy Secretary-General Bipin Acharya, who is close with Lamichhane’s core team.

The police have accused Lamichhane of enlisting his close associates in various roles to carry out organised fraudulent activities. Additionally, Lamichhane will also be investigated under money laundering charges related to these offenses.

Investigation begins on Sano Paila case

As the second phase of the investigation progresses in Kaski and Butwal, the file regarding the Sano Paila Savings and Loan Cooperative fraud case connected to Lamichhane has also been compiled in Birgunj, Parsa.

Parsa police have reported that they have retrieved the file of Sano Paila to advance the second phase of the investigation.

“As the investigation in other districts advances, we are looking into what is happening here. The lawsuit section has been reviewing its file for a few days. In the next few days, the investigation will gain solid momentum,” said an officer from Parsa police.

However, Parsa police plan to initiate action after assessing the status of the cases in Pokhara and Butwal.

In a previous statement, the government attorney had said, “Further investigation is needed.” 

In the first phase of the investigation, the government attorney’s office indicated that the police could not retrieve the accounts related to Rs. 470 million sent from the Sahara Chitwan Cooperative to Gorkha Media, pointing to the need for a second phase of investigation.

A case has been filed against 17 individuals, including a person named Gitendra Babu Rai (referred to as GB), in the fraud case concerning the Sahara Chitwan Multipurpose Cooperative, which has its central office located in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-3, Chitwan.

Although a case was registered for misappropriating over Rs. 375 million belonging to 446 depositors, the government attorney concluded that additional investigation was needed because some transaction details could not be obtained from the relevant authorities.

While the case in Chitwan is ongoing, the police in Chitwan have also indicated that they have started the second phase of investigation based on the report of the Special Committee led by Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri.

DSP Bheshraj Rijal from Chitwan said, “We had completed the first phase of the investigation and filed the case. We are looking into issues that were not addressed in the first phase. We will request additional information. The investigation is going on.”

It has been noted that there were transactions worth Rs. 470 million linked to Gorkha Media associated with Rabi Lamichhane through the Sahara Chitwan Cooperative.

In the second phase of the investigation, individuals such as Rabi Lamichhane and Chhabilal Banjade will also be summoned.

Arrest warrant issued against 25 in Swarnalaxmi case

The police have obtained arrest warrants from the court against 25 individuals in connection with the fraud involving the Swarnalaxmi Savings and Loan Cooperative in Kathmandu.

The District Police Office in Kathmandu has already started an investigation in response to the complaint registered against the fraudulent from the Kalimati police circle.

According to the details of the complaint, 645 individuals have reported being defrauded by this cooperative, which has its main office in Kalimati, Kathmandu. The complaint mentions that their total loss amounts to Rs. 1.11 billion. 

Top officials from the Kathmandu Valley Police Office in Ranipokhari said that the investigation, which had been stalled for a long time, was recently initiated after designating an investigation officer.

SSP Basanta Rajaure, head of the Kathmandu District Police Office, said that further processes of the investigation are underway.

The police raided the house of Chhabilal Banjade, a business partner of GB and Rabi, in Shankhamul and seized a server for investigation, which has been taken to Kaski. Since other cooperative details are also in Kaski, the police are retrieving them for investigation.

“This software is also in Pokhara. We still need to bring the software back to Kathmandu from Pokhara. Only from that software will the list of fraud cases be revealed. Other districts have also collected information from it; we will first obtain that and then proceed with the investigation,” an officer from the office said.

When asked why there had been no investigation for such a long time after the complaint was lodged, the officer replied, “We do what orders we receive from above. Now we have received an order to investigate, and we have begun it now.”

For the investigation of the Swarnalaxmi Cooperative fraud case, the police have obtained arrest warrants from the District Court of Kathmandu against individuals including GB Rai, Vice Chair Devendra Babu Rai, Treasurer Kumar Ramtel, Secretary Iran Lama, Assistant Secretary Kabita Lama, member Hemanta Adhikari, and Ravina Rimal.

Similarly, arrest warrants have also been issued against former members of the cooperative’s loan subcommittee Suraj Shrestha and Raju Baral, former treasurer Meera Bomjan, former assistant secretary Maya Rai, former manager Nabin Achami, former director Deepak Lama, Sabina Ale Magar, and Bhakta Bahadur Blon.

Arrest warrants have also been issued against former directors Yam Kumar Nalbo, Raju Baral, Punam Kumar Chalise, Pradeep Lama, Sabita Lama, Ganesh Raj Shrestha, Sunita Newa, Shanti Kumari Subedi, Roman Kafle, and Kamal Lama.

The police headquarters has stated that the report of the parliamentary committee investigating the cooperatives has been sent to the respective districts for implementation.