Kathmandu, Dec 23 (PTI) Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman and former Nepal home minister Rabi Lamichhane was on Monday suspended from his position as an MP following the filing of charges under the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2008.
Issuing a notice, parliament general secretary Padma Prasad Pandey confirmed that the 50-year-old former deputy prime minister has been suspended as a member of parliament following the filing of three charges against him by Kaski District Court.
The district government attorney’s office, Kaski, filed a case against Lamichhane on Sunday on three offences and sought more than Nepalese Rs 2.75 billion in compensation for the victims of a cooperative scam.
The charges relate to Lamichhane's alleged involvement in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case and organised crime besides the money laundering case.
Lamichhane, along with 30 others, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, faces allegations of cooperative fraud, organised crime and money laundering.
The chargesheet also demands for restitution and severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to 15 years for money laundering offences.
The Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2008, mandates the automatic suspension of any official facing such charges until the resolution of the case.
Lamichhane’s suspension was formalised with Speaker Devraj Ghimire notifying the charges.
Meanwhile, the RSP has designated vice-chair DP Aryal as the acting chair to oversee its operations as the investigation against Lamichhane continues.