December 23, 2024
KATHMANDU – The Kaski District Police has officially requested Speaker Devraj Ghimire to suspend Rastriya Swatantra Party chair and Member of Parliament Rabi Lamichhane from his parliamentary position. The move follows the filing of a chargesheet against Lamichhane under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008 in the Kaski District Court.
The charges stem from Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case. Alongside Lamichhane, 30 others, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, have been accused of cooperative fraud, organised crime, and money laundering.
According to Clause 27 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, Lamichhane is subject to automatic suspension once charges are filed. This clause mandates that officials facing such charges remain suspended until the case is resolved. Speaker Ghimire is expected to make the suspension official by posting a notice on the parliamentary bulletin board, as the House session is not currently in progress.
The Kaski District Court chargesheet reveals that Lamichhane and his associates allegedly embezzled over Rs2.7 billion. The charges include cooperative fraud (with penalties of 4–6 years imprisonment), organised crime (an additional 50 percent punishment), and money laundering (2–15 years imprisonment and fines double the embezzled amount).
The chargesheet also implicates eight companies and several cooperatives, including Suryadarshan Cooperative, for 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 in June 2022 to enter politics.
The Kaski District Attorney’s Office has been intensifying its investigation into cooperatives fraud. A supplementary chargesheet filed earlier 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 leads the RSP parliamentary party, now faces legal and political challenges as investigations proceed.