Let Probe Take Its Course

Bini Dahal

The matter of cooperative fund misappropriation has continued to rattle Nepal for over a year now.  After a long protest from the side of cooperative victims, a parliamentary probe committee investigated and came up with several recommendations on this issue. But even today, those depositors whose money has been embezzled by operators of cooperatives have not received justice. The involvement of the leaders belonging to different political parties in this financial crime has made the whole situation much murkier.  

However, the relevant government agencies have initiated legal action against some powerful political leaders, including lawmaker and president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Rabi Lamichhane. Over the past three weeks or so, he has in police custody in Pokhara. The vocal leader is being investigated on charges of misappropriation of funds from various cooperatives as well as his connection to organised crime. The Kaski District Court has allowed the police to keep in custody for ten more days for necessary investigation.

The probe committee had mentioned that while Lamichhane did not have a direct role in taking loans from the cooperatives, he, as the erstwhile managing director of Gorkha Media Network. This was the reason why the parliamentary panel recommended that he should be brought to the investigation process. Amidst this situation, the RSP activists have taken to the streets against the government, demanding Lamichhane’s release. They have claimed that their leader is innocent, and his sudden arrest was a retaliatory measure. Although the RSP leaders have claimed that their protest has been peaceful, it has proven to be destructive.

Recently, some RSP supporters were found attempting to breach a restricted area outside the Kaski District Court, forcing the police to fire tear gas to disperse the mob. It has been reported that eight of the activists have been arrested after they were found attacking the police personnel on duty.  The victims occupy a significant portion of the common people, who may have previously voted for the same political party and its leaders, with a hope for change.

The whole purpose of holding discussions and deliberations on cooperative fraud cases is to ensure justice to the victims and provide them with proper compensation. All the suspects, including leaders of other political parties, should also be investigated so as to settle the pertinent issue of cooperative fraud. When political leaders and other individuals face any such allegation, the concerned political parties must leave it to the court and the investigating authority to do their work independently. 

They should uphold democratic norms and values and extend their full cooperation to the relevant authorities for investigation. Only then can they gain credibility and trust from the general public. The RSP leaders and cadres must realise that protesting during the investigation process can cause disappointment to hundreds and thousands of cooperative victims. It is the victims’ right to get justice through rightful investigations. This matter should not be a part of any political game.

And no political parties should play on the sentiments of the public for their trivial partisan and personal interest. Whether political leaders like Lamichhane are found guilty or not in the fraud cases, no one should act as a court outside the court to make their own verdict on the matter. Everything should be based on evidence and political parties should be mindful of this.