Kathmandu- The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police has filed a case at the Kathmandu District Court alleging fraud in the decision to lease two ropanis of land at Durbarmarg owned by the Nepal Trust.
The case was registered on Wednesday through the Government Attorney’s Office following a month-long investigation. The CIB has named four defendants, including former Nepal Trust secretary Arjun Bahadur Karki, the-then joint secretary Lekh Bahadur Karki, and Thamserku Developers’ owner Sonam Sherpa.
According to the investigation, the defendants are accused of fraud and criminal profiteering in connection with a lease agreement approved seven years ago. The CIB concluded that although the proposal claimed a return of more than Rs 6.45 billion to the Nepal Trust, the actual agreement was signed for a significantly lower amount, which investigators say violated existing rules and procedures.
The bureau stated that the lease decision did not comply with legal provisions and resulted in financial loss to the state-owned trust. It has sought prosecution on charges of fraud and criminal breach of trust.
The case has renewed questions over the Nepal Trust’s decision to lease prime land at Durbarmarg to Thamserku Developers. Despite what investigators say was sufficient evidence of irregularities at the time, the file was not pursued further after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority decided to keep the matter on hold seven years ago.
The court is expected to begin preliminary hearings after the defendants are summoned.
