No less than three former Nepal prime ministers are under investigation for money laundering, says a report in The Kathmandu Post.
They are KP Sharma Oli who headed the coalition that was swept out during the GenZ uprising last year, Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress and Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachand leader of the Nepal Communist Party formerly Maoists.
The probe by the Central Investigation Bureau of the Nepal Police stems from burnt currency notes recovered from their residences in the wake of the uprising.
While Oli is under arrest for alleged crimes committed during the uprising, Prachand remains in Nepal and only the other day called for a fair investigation into Oli’s misdemeanours in office.
Deuba, The Kathmandu Post reported, is now in Hong Kong along with his wife Arzu Rani and son Jaiveer. He had left the country ahead of the February elections and went to Singapore, apparently for medical treatment.
Krishna Prasad Paudel of the Nepali Congress said Deuba and his family were outside the country only for medical reasons. “They will return once treatment is completed. Their travel abroad is purely for health reasons.”
Deuba’s personal secretary told the paper that “The former prime minister has a follow-up this Thursday, while the former foreign minister (Arzu) is undergoing treatment after doctors recommended knee surgery,” he said, adding that their return will depend on medical advice.
Rup Narayan Bhattarai, former director general of DMLI, was quoted by The Kathmandu Post as saying that money laundering investigations are complex and hinge on establishing the underlying offence and tracing how illicit funds were processed.
If suspects are abroad, investigators may request their return, issue public notices, or seek an Interpol Red Notice. However, he noted that repatriation depends on cooperation from the country where the suspect is located and the effectiveness of diplomatic engagement.
