Sun Sep 15 00:01:35 UTC 2024: ## High-Profile Nepali Politicians Implicated in Cooperative Savings Fraud Scandal

**Kathmandu, Nepal:** A parliamentary inquiry committee investigating the misappropriation of cooperative savings funds in Nepal has uncovered a shocking web of corruption involving prominent figures from both the ruling and opposition parties. The committee, formed at the request of the Nepali Congress (now the ruling party), was tasked with investigating allegations of embezzlement that had previously targeted former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

The investigation has since implicated a wider range of high-profile politicians, including:

* **Dhanraj Gurung:** Nepali Congress Deputy President
* **Rishikesh Pokharel:** CPN-UML MP and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee
* **Shakti Bahadur Basnet:** Maoist Center MP
* **DP Aryal and Kabindra Burlakoti:** RSP leaders

Gurung, Pokharel, and the RSP leaders are accused of embezzling millions of rupees from various cooperatives. Gurung faces accusations of non-repayment of loans totaling 148.1 million rupees from the Miteri Saving and Credit Co-operative. Pokharel’s wife, Anjala Koirala, is implicated in the embezzlement of nearly 140 million rupees from the Umagouri Agricultural Cooperative Society, raising concerns about Pokharel’s adherence to financial discipline as the head of the Public Accounts Committee. Aryal and Burlakoti are accused of misappropriating funds from a new agricultural cooperative, resulting in losses exceeding four million rupees for depositors.

The revelation of these high-level connections to the cooperative fraud scandal has sent shockwaves through the Nepali political landscape. As the inquiry progresses, pressure mounts on the government to hold those implicated accountable and ensure the protection of vulnerable depositors who have lost their savings. The incident has also raised questions about the effectiveness of the current regulatory framework governing cooperative organizations in Nepal and the need for greater oversight to prevent future instances of such widespread fraud.

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