Lamichhane Stares At Uncertain Future

Rabi Lamichhane, president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), suffered an embarrassing exit from what appeared to be a promising political career due to the allegations he is now facing. Police in Kaski documented instances including joint fraud, organised crime, and money laundering. The police requested 15 years in prison and demanded a claim of Rs278.9 million from him. The ultimate decision on the matter will be made following the court ruling, which will take many weeks, if not months. It has threatened to derail his political ambitions and career, as well as destroy his reputation as a previous famous TV anchor who was once recognised by Guinness World Records for airing a marathon programme on the theme "Buddha Was Born In Nepal".

What would sadden the chair of the fourth largest party in parliament, who has been in police prison for more than two months, is the suspension of his lawmaker seat as a result of the money laundering charge sheet filed against him. Meanwhile, in addition to the allegations filed against Lamichhane, police have named his wife, Nikita Poudel, as a defendant in the investigation after discovering the transfer of funds from Lamichhane's bank account to hers. Police said the money found in her account would be seized, but she would not be detained or held in jail.

Serious charges 

Following the three serious charges filed against him, the country's media is rife with reports about how he collected funds in his bank accounts while also handling the ill-gotten cooperative money in Gorkha Media Network, which his former partners, GB Rai and Chhabi Lal Joshi, reportedly founded alongside him. Because he served as the network's managing director, he was accused of being an organised criminal accomplice with Rai and Joshi. His alleged bank accounts indicated such a large sum that the investigating team was unable to determine resources, and the flow of money from his bank accounts to the accounts of his wife, party associates, and those residing overseas resulted in a money laundering accusation against him.

What is more concerning for him is that, in addition to cases of cooperative fund scams involving Pokhara-based Suryadarshan cooperatives, he has faced similar charges in four other cooperatives — each based in Butwal, Chitwan, Birgunj, and Kathmandu — all of which were previously controlled by GB Rai as chairman. The claim that he was a collaborator in Rai's cooperative fund misappropriation has proven to be damaging for him. While Rai has fled to Malaysia, Lamicchani and Joshi, as well as several other cooperative executives, have been arrested and face fines in the millions of rupees.

Lamichhane, who rose to prominence as a popular TV personality, now faces a gloomy future in politics. The RSP, which he and other like-minded colleagues founded with much pomp, has been portrayed it as an alternative political force. The party, with the bell as its logo, was popularised as an alternative to the conventional political parties — the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Maoist Centre — and marketed as the next in line to be propelled to the government, but it is bound to confront fresh leadership challenges.

Currently, two RSP leaders, Swarnim Wagle and DP Aryal, both deputy chairmen, are anticipated to engage in a leadership tussle inside the party. While Lamicchane is thought to have backed Aryal to replace him as party chief until he returns with clean hands, Wagle is supported within the party by those who desire someone of Wagle's standing to lead the party. So far, Wagle has enjoyed maintaining a clean image. He won a by-election in Tanahu and had previously managed the National Planning Commission and served as an expert for numerous international organisations, whilst Aryal is an entrepreneur involved in manpower agencies. Aryal is, purportedly, facing allegations of cooperative fund embezzlement, though police have not made any public statements about it.

All of these occurrences have frustrated thousands of RSP workers, supporters, and voters. Many of them had no clue that the police would file several counts of charges against their chairperson, and a large number of RSP supporters and workers continue to think that the allegations against him are nothing more than a political vengeance perpetrated by the parties in power — the Congress and UML. 

Soon after Lamichhane's arrest in October, party workers, leaders at all levels, and RSP lawmakers staged protest rallies against the government in the capital and Pokhara, claiming that the RSP chairman's imprisonment was carried out in retaliation and demanded Lamichhane’s release. While protesting, RSP leaders even disregarded a report issued by the special parliamentary commission set up to probe Lamichhane’s involvement in cooperative frauds. The report, which did not find Lamicchane's personal presence at cooperatives to receive payments, found him guilty of transferring funds unlawfully acquired through cooperatives from the account of Gorkha Media Network, which operated the Galaxy4K Television Channel. 

Leadership contest

The parliamentary probe team, led by UML parliamentarian Surya Thapa and comprising members from several political parties, including the RSP, Congress, and the Maoist Centre, found Lamichhane guilty of having involved in using ill-gotten Gorkha Media funds as its managing director, and then recommended that the government act against him in accordance with existing laws. Initially, RSP leaders and workers disputed the report, claiming that it cleared him of all allegations. However, following Lamichhane’s detention, RSP protest waned as the investigation into him and others continued. The party leaders now look to be involved in a leadership contest. 

However, it is worthwhile to note that the destiny Lamichhane rests in the hands of the courts. The verdicts made by district courts will determine whether Lamichhane will be allowed to resume an active political career or will be the one who drowned due to his own weight. At present, Lamichhane and his party have unequivocally been staring at uncertain future.

(Upadhyay is a former managing editor of this daily.)