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The special parliamentary inquiry committee, formed to investigate the embezzlement of funds from financial cooperatives, has concluded that Rs 650m funneled into Gorkha Media Network was entirely sourced from cooperatives, and that the company shares were traded using forged documents. 

The committee has recommended prosecuting four individuals, including the then-Managing Director of Gorkha Media and former Home Minister, Rabi Lamichhane, in accordance with existing laws. Others recommended for prosecution include GB Rai, Kumar Ramtel, and Chhabi Lal Joshi.

The committee presented its report to the House of Representatives on Monday, outlining eight recommendations regarding the misappropriation of cooperative funds by Gorkha Media. The report revealed that five out of seven cooperatives operated by Rai and his group had transactions totaling Rs 2.56bn with Gorkha Media, of which Rs 650m was determined to be embezzled.

The committee found that the savings of 50,000 individuals from five cooperatives—Suryadarshan of Pokhara, Supreme of Butwal, Swarnalakshmi of Kathmandu, Sahara of Chitwan, and Sano Paila of Birgunj—were illegally transferred to fund Gorkha Media Network. Legal action has been recommended against the cooperative directors and all individuals involved in the decision-making process. Currently, Ramtel is in jail, and Rai is absconding.

The report emphasizes accountability for those involved, stating, “Every company has its own objective and spirit. Promoters and shareholders bear the main responsibilities. Those in the roles of shareholders, promoters, and managing directors cannot evade responsibility and accountability for the money received by the company.”

Lekhnath Dahal, a committee member, noted that funds from Suryadarshan and other cooperatives were transferred by Rai to Gorkha Media and were spent under Lamichhane's direction. Rai, the chairperson, and Lamichhane, the managing director, along with director Joshi, opened a joint account to handle the funds. During Lamichhane’s 14-month tenure as managing director of Gorkha Media Network, he signed all but one check. The committee also deemed Lamichhane’s 15 percent share in Gorkha Media as illegal.

The committee, which spent over three months compiling its findings, prepared a 2,000-page report following extensive interrogation, statements, research, and documentation. 

During the investigation, Lamichhane, a former Home Minister and chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was interrogated for nine hours. He denied possessing or knowing the origin of the cooperative funds and claimed he should not be held responsible. He also asserted that he is not the Rabi Lamichhane who borrowed from the Suryadarshan and Supreme cooperatives.

RSP lawmaker Shishir Khanal, another committee member, indicated that while direct evidence of Lamichhane taking money from the cooperatives was not found, his involvement in spending those funds was clear. Khanal stated, “Lamichhane was MD, this is a fact. He has signed the checks in that capacity, so if signing the checks as MD creates legal liability, it should be borne.”

The report was unanimously approved by all committee members before being submitted to Parliament. Speaker Devraj Ghimire has instructed the government for necessary implementation of the report.

Formed by the House of Representatives on May 28, the committee was headed by CPN-UML lawmaker Surya Thapa, with members including Dilendra Prasad Badu from Nepali Congress (succeeded by Badri Prasad Pandey after Badu became a minister), Ishwari Neupane, Sabitra Bhusal from UML, Lekhnath Dahal from CPN (Maoist Center), Shishir Khanal from RSP, and Dhurba Bahadur Pradhan from Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

Committee Chair Thapa told Parliament on Monday that the cooperative sector is riddled with fraud, stating, “The cooperative sector is plagued by a multitude of fakes. Marriages, property sharing, and even debts are fabricated. Audit reports and working systems are falsified. General meetings and reports are manipulated. Shareholders and debtors, including public figures, have been falsely implicated.” He emphasized the need for all parties to address and resolve these issues within the cooperative sector.

Meanwhile, RSP Chairperson Lamichhane claimed that he was not involved in the case and that his party had dismissed the allegations against him. He said, “The time of the probe committee is over. If anyone has evidence against me, please bring it forward and explain it.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli informed the House of Representatives on Monday about his upcoming participation in the United Nations General Assembly. During the parliamentary meeting, Prime Minister Oli outlined the issues Nepal plans to raise at the assembly. The Nepali delegation, led by Prime Minister Oli, is scheduled to depart for the United States on Sept 20.

Monday’s parliamentary session resumed after the Maoist Center lifted its obstruction. Deputy Secretary General Shakti Bahadur Basnet, speaking on behalf of the Maoists, announced that the deadlock had been removed to advance key issues, including the Prime Minister’s foreign visit and the passage of important bills.

Basnet addressed the issue of the term ‘violence’, used by UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai in reference to Maoist insurgency during the Aug 28 meeting of the Parliament. Basnet criticized the term, stating, “We have taken the word ‘violence’ not as an unparliamentary term but as an insult to the sacrifices of the people. It is not merely a word but an attempt to undermine the entire process of Nepal’s revolution.” He also called for clarification on whether Bhattarai’s use of the term was a personal or party-related statement.

Basnet emphasized that labeling the Maoist armed rebellion as violence undermines the historical significance of political revolutions in Nepal. He questioned, “What about the Jhapa revolt? How do you label the 1951 revolution? Violence?”

The current session of Parliament has officially ended, with President Ram Chandra Poudel approving the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.

A meeting of the Constitutional Council (CC) held today has recommended the senior-most Justice of the Supreme Court (SC), Prakash Man Singh Raut, for the post of the Chief Justice of the SC.

Deputy Speaker of House of Representative Indira Rana Magar said that the meeting held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar has recommended the name of Raut for the next CJ.  

The meeting chaired by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was attended by Chief Justice Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire, Chairperson of the National Assembly Narayan Prasad Dahal, main opposition party leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Indira Rana Magar.

The Council recommended the name of Raut from among the senior justices for the vacant position and the name of Raut will be sent to the Parliamentary Hearing Committee under the Federal Parliament.

The tenure of the incumbent Chief Justice, Bishwambhar Prasad Shrestha, is coming to an end on October 15.

Earlier, a meeting of the CC on Friday had decided to further study and discuss the recommendation for the Chief Justice in the country.

The budget session of the House of Representatives (HoR) and National Assembly (NA) has ended effective from midnight today.

In a HoR meeting this afternoon, Speaker Devraj Ghimire read out a letter received from the Office of the President stating that the current session of the Federal Parliament was concluded.

The Council of Ministers on Sunday recommended the President to end the ongoing session of the Federal Parliament as per Article 93 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.

In today's HoR meeting, Speaker Ghimire shared the major highlights of the ongoing session of the HoR.  

In this budget session, the 56 meetings of the HoR were held in 53 days and the session continued for 130 days, Speaker Ghimire said.

In this session of the HoR, eight governmental and one non-governmental bills were registered and five of them have been passed from both HoR and NA, while three others are under consideration in parliamentary committees, Ghimire added.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made it clear that he will not do anything to bow down Nepal's image in the international arena while participating in the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations.

Informing the House of Representatives (HoR) today about the matters to be raised in the UN General Assembly, the PM mentioned that he would make it clear about Nepal's policy of not interfering in the internal affairs of others and not accepting the interference of others in line with the Charter of the United Nations.

He said that the Constitution of Nepal, democratic principles, the identity of an independent nation with sovereignty, fair national interests and international commitments will be discussed. "What are our efforts and problems in the journey of development and prosperity and how to join hands with the world regarding our efforts will be put in the United Nations," Prime Minister Oli said, adding that Nepal wants to have good relations with its neighbors, and not fake and artificial relations.

"We believe in the notion 'friendship with all and enmity with none'," Prime Minister Oli made it clear. He said that he will represent the country and people at the international arena, considering this fact because he is doing politics for the country and the people, for today and even more so for tomorrow.

Referring to the 'Future Summit' event that he will be participating in after attending the General Assembly, Prime Minister Oli informed the parliament that in the Summit he will present Nepal's perspective on the safety of mankind and the earth, the 'ecosystem' of mountains and seas. He will also speak on the topic of rising sea level due to the melting of the snow in the mountains.

During his stay in the United States, he will address separate events at Columbia University in New York and Harvard University in Boston.