Recording statements of defendants including RSP President Lamichhane begins in court

Gandaki, Dec 23: Recording the statements of five defendants, including Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, accused of cooperative fraud, will begin at the District Court Kaski today.

Earlier on Sunday, the District Attorney’s Office, Kaski, had filed a case against Lamichhane and 31 others on the charge of cooperative fraud.

Lamichhane has also been booked for organized crime and money laundering along with cooperative fraud.

District Court Kaski’s Information Officer Suraj Adhikari said that the recording of the statements of Lamichhane, Chhabilal Joshi and five other defendants presented before the court has begun.

“The statements of the defendants will begin after the bench is finalized and the detention order will be issued only after the completion of the statement”, he said.

According to the Attorney’s Office, a case has been filed at the District Court Kaski against 63 people so far in connection with the embezzlement of the Suryadarshan cooperative in Pokhara.

Assistant District Attorney of Kaski Office, Shanti Devi Sharma informed that 19 people, including Lamichhane, have also been booked for organized crime. Similarly, a case has been filed against Lamichhane, Ram Bahadur Khanal, Chhabilal Joshi and Leela Pachai for money laundering.

A case has been registered against Lamichhane on money laundering with a claim of Rs 278.94 million. A case has been filed against Chhabilal Joshi on charges of money laundering.

Lamichhane was arrested from Kathmandu on October 18 on the charge of misappropriating the funds of the cooperative. He is also being investigated in Kaski and other districts on the charges of mismanaging cooperative funds.

The mastermind of Suryadarshan cooperative fraud, GB Rai and other accused are still absconding.

RSS