Rabi Lamichhane, President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and former Home Minister, appeared at the Kathmandu District Court today to address allegations of embezzlement related to the Swarnalakshmi Multipurpose Cooperative.
Lamichhane’s case is being heard in the bench of Judge Madhav Prasad Adhikari. A court official confirmed that he appeared voluntarily to comply with legal procedures.
The investigation, led by the police, alleges that Gorkha Media Network, associated with Lamichhane, unlawfully acquired Rs 57.898 million from the cooperative. Based on these findings, the Government Attorney’s Office has demanded the recovery of the amount from Lamichhane.
This is not the first cooperative-related case involving Lamichhane. He was previously released on bail on January 9 in connection with fraud allegations linked to Surya Darshan Cooperative in Pokhara. Upon arriving in Kathmandu from Pokhara on Friday, he delayed his court appearance until today due to late travel hours.
The case also implicates 39 other individuals, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi. Accounts committee member Sunita Newa and loan sub-committee member Kamal Lama, who were previously arrested in connection with the case, have been released on bail.
Meanwhile, preparations are reportedly underway to file additional fraud cases against Lamichhane concerning cooperatives in Rupandehi, Chitwan, and Parsa. Despite the mounting allegations, Lamichhane has pledged full cooperation with the ongoing legal process.
12th Jan 2025
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