Kaski District Police have officially requested Chairman Devraj Ghimire to suspend Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairman and MP Rabi Lamichhane from his parliamentary position. The move follows the filing of a complaint against Lamichhane under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008 at the Kaski District Court.
The charges stem from Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case. Besides Lamichhane, 30 others, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, have been charged with co-operative fraud, organized crime and money laundering.
Under Clause 27 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, Lamichhane is subject to automatic suspension once charges are laid. This clause stipulates that officials facing such charges must remain suspended until the matter is resolved. Speaker Ghimire is expected to make the suspension official by posting a notice on the Parliament notice board as the House of Representatives session is not currently in session.
The Kaski District Court indictment shows that Lamichhane and his associates allegedly embezzled more than Rs2.7 billion. The charges include cooperative fraud (with penalties of 4 to 6 years in prison), organized crime (an additional 50 percent penalty) and money laundering (2 to 15 years in prison and fines double the amount embezzled) .
The indictment also accuses eight companies and several cooperatives, including Suryadarshan Cooperative, of diverting funds to ventures like Gorkha Media Network, which owned the now-defunct Galaxy 4K Television. Lamichhane was reportedly a partner in the network before resigning to enter politics in June 2022.
The Kaski Public Prosecutor’s Office has intensified its investigation into fraud involving cooperatives. A previously filed additional report targeted other cooperatives and individuals, further implicating Lamichhane and his network in widespread financial irregularities.
Lamichhane, who represents Chitwan’s Constituency 2 in Parliament and heads the RSP parliamentary party, now faces legal and political challenges as the investigation progresses.
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