Kathmandu: Former Home Minister and Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, was questioned by the parliamentary investigation committee until 1 AM last night in connection with an ongoing cooperative fraud investigation.
Lamichhane, who previously served as the managing director of Galaxy Television, was summoned to Singha Durbar at around 3 PM on Friday, where he was interrogated regarding his suspected involvement in the case.
The questioning session lasted late into the night, with the report being finalized at 1:05 AM, according to Surya Bahadur Thapa, Chairman of the Committee. Speaking to the media after his statement, Lamichhane denied any involvement in the fraud.
“I have not misused a single penny from the cooperatives, and I have presented my statements to the committee,” he said. The investigation also includes Chabilal Joshi Banjade, a business partner of GB Rai, the owner of Galaxy Television. Joshi’s statement was recorded by the committee on Friday afternoon.
Lamichhane and Joshi are under investigation for alleged embezzlement of funds from several cooperatives, including Suryadarshan Cooperative in Pokhara, Supreme Cooperative in Butwal, and Sahara Cooperative in Chitwan. It is alleged that these funds were improperly diverted through Gorkha Media.
Chairman Thapa stated that the statement-gathering process is nearly complete, and the committee is now focused on drafting the final report. The committee has indicated that evidence suggests Lamichhane and others may have been involved in the embezzlement of cooperative funds through unauthorized transfers.
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