Monday, October 31, 2005

Special Court Convicts 200 in Bank Loan Scam

Kathmandu, Oct 30-The Special Court today convicted about 200 people including some former high-ranking officials of the Nepal Bank Limited in four separate corruption cases.

A three-member panel of the Special Court judges including Govinda Prasad Parajuli, Rana Bahadur Bam and Bhoopdhoj Adhikary passed the verdict convicting former managing director of the bank, Sher Bahadur Thapa, and others on charges of irregularities while releasing loan from the bank. Thapa is one of the man accused of the cases and he has been slapped eight years jail term in four separate cases. On each case he would face jail for two years along with Rs 20,000 fine.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had filed the corruption cases against them five years ago, seeking forfeit of Rs 530 million from the accused. The bench ordered the accused to recover the amassed amount. Some of them have been jailed for a year. Thapa, who was the main investor, is convicted along with separate business groups for releasing loan to business parties illegally. The bank incurred a heavy loss due to his inappropriate decision.

Krishna Bahadur Karanjit, Rosan Man Joshi, Pradeep Neupane, Bishworam Shrestha, Narendra Mehar Shrstha, Purnaman Sharma Dawadi, Lok Bahadur Shrestha, Isworman Shrestha, Mohan Shahani, Mahendra Gadtaula, Purusottam Prasad Shrestha and Prakash Manandar Binod have been convicted among others.

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