Court extends remand of 16 people arrested in Bhutanese scam by three more days
The Kathmandu District Court has allowed those arrested in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam to keep in custody for three more days. The District Public Prosecutor's Office had taken the 16 individuals who were apprehended on different dates to the Kathmandu District Court to extend the remand. Police are planning to submit the report prepared by conducting a 55-day long investigation to the Public Prosecutor’s Office today. Joint Attorney Achyutmani Neupane said that case will be registered in the Kathmandu District Court by Tuesday after the police submits the report. Police had started carrying out investigation from March 26 on the basis of the statements given by the victims. Police had prepared the report based on the statements and interrogations taken from various people including the 16 arrested in connection with the scam. The Public Prosecutor’s Office will register the case in the district court after studying the report for 24 hours. Former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former lawmaker Angtawa Sherpa, Nepal Haj Committee Chairman Shumsher Miya, Bhutanese refugee leader Teknath Rijal, Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, Tanka Gurung, Sagar Rai, Sandesh Sharma, Sandeep Rayamajhi, son to Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Indrajit Rai, aide of Bal Krishna Khand, Narendra KC, Ram Sharan KC and Govinda Chaudhary are in the custody. Niraj Rai and Pratik Thapa, who were involved in the same case, are on the run. Arrest warrants have already been issued against them. Pratik is the son of former home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Niraj is the son of Indrajit Rai, who served as the security advisor of former home minister Thapa.
CPN (MC) denies financial irregularities in PLA cantonments
The CPN (Maoist Centre) has denied any financial irregularities in the payment of the then members of the Maoist People's Liberation Army and other managerial works in the cantonments. Organizing a press meet at the party central office Parisdanda today, the party said the Office of the Auditor General had already cleared the matter and there were no irregularities in the budget meant for the supervision and management of ex-Maoist armies took place in the presence of government bodies. Party Vice Chair and Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said a letter about the budget allocation to the cantonments and its expenditures was sent on June 1, 2012 to the Office of Cantonment Management Central Coordinator in Singha Durbar. The annual report of the Office of the Auditor General-2069 BS (page number 259) has mentioned about the audit of the cantonment expenditures, it has been learnt. The government on April 26, 2012 took a decision to convert around Rs 460 million allocated in advance for the supervision and management of the then Maoist armies in course of implementing the peace process to grants. The decision was based on the recommendations of the parliamentary Public Account Committee and the then Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. Stating that the payments of salaries were made to the beneficiaries by issuing receipts, then the deputy commander of the Maoist Liberation Army and the CPN (Maoist Centre) Chakrapani Khanal accused the attempts of picking up an issue unnecessarily as 'the matter has been already concluded legally and practically'. There were not any financial irregularities in the cantonments and it could not be, he claimed. The Maoist Centre has asked the government to take a stern action against those involved in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam stating that its move in proceeding with investigations into the case undeterred has helped save the prestige of the state, and created encouragement and morale among people. The party has especially requested the government to do its maximum part and not to compromise on booking those involved in the scam, said Mahara. The Maoist Centre has emphasized on the need of effective implementation of the government policies and programs, noting that they include topics as realizing self-reliance by increasing production and productivity in agriculture and promoting employment. The governing party has expressed happiness stating the policy and program document incorporated creating at least 500,000 jobs, extending electricity to every household and completing the peace process, among others. The Maoist Centre said the government has tried to give positive message to the Nepali people by starting the process of initiating action against the people implicated in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam, formulating laws for providing justice to the loan-sharking victims, enlisting the Nepalis in foreign employment in the social security fund. It also mentioned that for the first time the school students have got textbooks on time and planned initiatives have been undertaken for improving the economy. The Maoist Centre has called attention of the government to carry out additional positive and pro-people works ahead.
20 HoR members demands amendment to govt’s policies and programs
Twenty lawmakers have registered an amendment proposal on the government policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year 2023/24. Speaker Devraj Ghimire informed the House about the registration of the amendment proposal at the Parliament Secretariat in today's meeting of the House of the Representatives. Shyam Kumar Ghimire and Dilendra Prasad Badu from the ruling Nepali Congress are among those lawmakers seeing the need to revise the government policies and programs that were presented on May 19 in the joint meeting of the federal Parliament by President Ramchandra Paudel. Yeknath Dhakal, Basudev Ghimire, Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, Narayan Prasad Acharya, Juli Kumari Mahato (Mahaseth), Bhagawati Chaudhary, Jwala Kumari Shah, Dayal Bahadur Shahi, Damodar Poudel Bairagi, Mahesh Kumar Bartaula and Surya Prasad Dhakal are the main opposition lawmakers demanding amendment to the policies and programs. Likewise, Chandra Karki Bhandari, Shobita Gautam and Sumana Shrestha of Rastriya Swatantra Party, Chitra Bahadur KC of Rastriya Janamorcha, Prem Suwal of Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party, Gangaram Chaudhary of Nagarik Unmukti and Ram Prakash Chaudhary of Loktantrik Samajbadi Party have sought amendments to the policies and programs.
Oli demands fair and impartial investigation into fake Bhutanese refugee scam
CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has demanded fair and impartial investigation into the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. Speaking at a House meeting on Sunday, Oli expressed his suspicion that attempts are being made to protect the culprits in the case. “Attempts are being made to protect the culprits and frame the innocent,” he said, adding, “Investigation should be carried out in a fair manner and action should be taken against the guilty.” The former prime minister said that police should be allowed to investigate the incident impartially. Why were those arrested on the basis of complaints filed earlier were released? he questioned. “Police did not release them. They were forced to free them. Do not dare to cover-up the issue,” Oli warned. So far 16 individuals including former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, former lawmaker Angtawa Sherpa and Nepal Haj Committee Chairman Shumsher Miya have been arrested.



