RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane suspended as lawmaker amid money laundering charges; DP Aryal acting chair in Lamichhane’s absence

Kathmandu / Dec 23: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair and former home minister, Rabi Lamichhane, has been suspended from his position as a Member of Parliament following the filing of charges under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008.

The Federal Parliament Secretariat issued a notice confirming the suspension after the Kaski police wrote to it informing the money laundering case filed against Lamichhane.

The charges relate to Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the Suryadarshan Cooperative fraud case. He, along with 30 others, including former DIG Chhabilal Joshi, faces allegations of cooperative fraud, organised crime, and money laundering. The chargesheet accuses the group of embezzling over Rs2.7 billion, with demands for restitution and severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to 15 years for money laundering offences.

The Money Laundering Prevention Act mandates the automatic suspension of any official facing such charges until the resolution of the case. As a result, Lamichhane’s suspension was formalised, with Speaker Devraj Ghimire notified of the charges by the Kaski District Attorney’s Office and the District Police.

The fraud case also implicates eight companies and additional cooperatives, including Suryadarshan Cooperative, which allegedly diverted funds to ventures such as Gorkha Media Network, previously linked to Lamichhane.

RSP appoints DP Aryal acting chair in Lamichhane’s absence

RSP has appointed vice-chairperson DP Aryal as its acting chair. The decision was made during a virtual meeting of the party’s secretariat held on Monday.

According to RSP Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar, the proposal to assign Aryal the role was forwarded by party chair Rabi Lamichhane and subsequently approved by the secretariat. The meeting also discussed plans to convene a central committee meeting soon.

This development comes as Lamichhane faces legal challenges, with an indictment filed against him under charges of money laundering. If proven, this would result in the automatic suspension of his position as a Member of Parliament.

Consequently, the RSP parliamentary party will need to elect a new leader, although the parliamentary party meeting has yet to be scheduled. It is expected to be convened after the announcement of the next parliamentary session.