Saturday, July 08, 2006

Probe commission grills former minister Dhakal

The high-level judicial commission formed to investigate into the atrocities committed by the erstwhile royal regime during the people’s movement-II interrogated former minister Tanka Dhakal and dismissed chief of the National Investigation Department (NID), Devi Ram Sharma, on Friday.

Commission members interrogated Dhakal and Sharma for nearly two hours each at the commission’s office in Hahihar Bhawan in connection with their alleged role in clampdown on the people’s movement.

Initially, was communication minister and government spokesperson in the royal cabinet but was later given local development portfolio after a reshuffle.

"His Majesty never directed the government to suppress the Jana Andolan," he told journalists after being interrogated by the High-Level Investigation Commission

"I am sad for the death of 21 people during the Jana Andolan, but I am ready to bear the responsibility on my part but the then cabinet take the whole responsibility," he told journalists after giving his statement to the commission.

"But who will take responsibility for the killing of people during the tenure of previous governments?" he questioned.

He claimed that the cabinet led by the King had just tried to restore peace in the country and that it had no other intention.

He claimed that the Cabinet of which he was a member had done all things to normalise the democratic process by holding elections and restoring peace.

He told the commission that a Cabinet meeting could not be held then because the King was in Pokhara.

"Initially he had tried to lie but later he revealed that he had signed the order to shut down Radio Sagarmatha when it tried to broadcast Prachanda's interview," a member of the commission .

Similarly, suspended NID chief Sharma claimed that he had no role in atrocities against the pro-democracy agitators. “I have no moral responsibility for the suppression. If you talk about moral responsibility, all of us including the journalists should take some responsibility,” he said, adding, “We have been given dismissal letters without even being given a chance to clarify our point.”

Sharma was dismissed by the new government along with the IGPs and other senior officials of the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force.

The probe commission headed by former Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi has already interrogated several functionaries of royal regime including then cabinet vice-chairman-duo, Dr. Tulsi Giri and Kriti Nidhi Bista

No comments: