Lamichhane chargesheeted for coop fraud, organized crime

A chargesheet has been filed at the Kaski District Court against Rastriya Swatantra Party Chairperson and former Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, along with five others, accusing them of cooperative fraud, organized crimes and money laundering. The case centers on the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Surya Darshan Cooperative in Pokhara, with claims that a portion of the funds was diverted to Gorkha Media Pvt Ltd.

Chief District Attorney Kamala Kafle stated that the case implicates 44 individuals and organizations. This follows an earlier charge against GB Rai, chairperson of Gorkha Media, and 18 others, bringing the total number of defendants to 63. The damages sought from Lamichhane and his co-defendants amount to approximately Rs 1.51bn.

The government attorney’s office alleges that Lamichhane and his associates operated as an organized group to defraud the cooperative and launder the misappropriated funds. Evidence includes checks issued under the cooperative’s name, linking the funds to Gorkha Media. Lamichhane has denied involvement, claiming that the checks were misused without his consent during his tenure as the managing director of Gorkha Media Network (GMN). However, police investigations revealed loans, including Rs 4.6m each from Swarnalakshmi Cooperative, used to purchase vehicles in the names of Lamichhane and Rai.

A parliamentary panel formed under CPN-UML MP Surya Thapa found funneling of Rs 224.6m from six cooperatives, including Surya Darshan, into GMN. The panel recommended legal action against Lamichhane and others, leading to arrests and ongoing legal proceedings. Lamichhane’s wife, Nikita Poudel, has also been implicated, with allegations of illegally amassing Rs 280m. Four others—Padma Banjade, Rojak Joshi, Radha Pachhai, and Geeta Pachhai—have been named for property confiscation.

Assistant District Attorney Shantidevi Sharma clarified that if their assets are proven to be linked to criminal activities, only the claimed amounts will be seized without additional penalties.

The investigation, based on reports from Pokhara Metropolitan City and a parliamentary committee, exposed widespread misuse of cooperative funds. The panel’s report was submitted to the government, which directed agencies to expedite action.

Lamichhane was arrested on Oct 19 after the Kaski District Court issued an arrest warrant against him. The opposition Nepali Congress had made cooperative fraud a key issue in parliament, making way for the formation of a special probe committee under Thapa. Nepal Police, following directives from Home Affairs Minister Ramesh Lekhak, has sought international assistance, after which INTERPOL issued a diffusion notice for Rai, who remains at large.