Rabi Lamichhane’s lawyers seek temporary release during trial

Kathmandu, January 15 — The bail hearing of suspended Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president, Rabi Lamichhane, is underway at the Kathmandu District Court on Wednesday.

Senior lawyers Sushil Panta and Raman Shrestha are representing Lamichhane in the hearing.

During the debate, both lawyers argued that Lamichhane is innocent in the cooperative scam case. They accused the government of filing charges with malicious intent.

Raman Shrestha claimed that Lamichhane had no knowledge of the funds brought to Gorkha Media Network by GB Rai, the alleged mastermind behind the scam. He stated that, at the time, Lamichhane was the managing director of Gorkha Media, and only Rs. 20 million was received.

Shrestha argued that the charges were brought with "malicious intent" and further detention would be unjust. He suggested that Lamichhane should be granted bail with a condition to appear when needed.

Meanwhile, Sushil Panta also defended Lamichhane, stating that GB Rai had full control over the operations of Gorkha Media Network. Panta argued that Lamichhane was not involved in opening accounts or requesting loans in the cooperative scam case. He emphasized that Lamichhane did not benefit from any funds related to the fraudulent transactions.

Panta further stated that Lamichhane was not responsible for tracking the source of funds or approving payments, and that Lamichhane had not engaged in any fraudulent activity. He also pointed out that fake accounts had been opened in the name of Lamichhane and GB Rai for loan purposes at the Swarnalakshmi Cooperative.

The hearing started on Wednesday after Lamichhane was brought to the Kathmandu District Court by the police. He had previously appeared in court on Sunday after an accusation was filed related to the misappropriation of funds from the Swarnalakshmi Multi-purpose Cooperative.