The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a money laundering case against five individuals, including accounts officer Jhalak Sharma Poudel of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development and Transport Management under Gandaki Province, Pokhara.
According to Assistant Spokesperson Ganesh Bahadur Adhikari, the CIAA filed a charge sheet at the Special Court Kathmandu after concluding that the accused were involved in concealing, disguising, and transferring ownership of illegally acquired property.
The CIAA stated that such acts, aimed at hiding the true source of assets obtained through corruption, are punishable by law. Investigations revealed that Poudel prepared documents showing fictitious loans from various individuals and conducted complex financial transactions through banks and financial institutions to present illegally earned assets as legitimate.
The commission confirmed that Poudel laundered assets worth NPR 25,867,324.53 to conceal their illegal source. The CIAA has sought imprisonment and fines equivalent to this amount, along with a demand to confiscate NPR 17,013,050.77.
The CIAA also noted that a separate case is already under consideration against Poudel for amassing illegal property worth over NPR 62.6 million.
Others charged for assisting in the offense include Huma Kumari Upadhyay, Jamuna Kumari Rokachhetri, Hariprasad Poudel, and Shanti Darai Poudel.
The CIAA has demanded half the punishment for these co-accused compared to the main defendant.
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