Special Court Orders Release on General Bail for Official Accused in Rs 73 Million Corruption Case at Rapti Health Academy

Kathmandu. The Special Court has ordered that Jhankar Lamichhane, the then Section Officer accused of embezzling over 73.31 million rupees in the purchase of a CT scan machine at Rapti Academy of Health Sciences, be kept on general bail while the case proceeds.

The bench comprising Special Court Chairman Sudarshan Dev Bhatta and members Hemanta Rawal and Dilliratna Shrestha ordered Lamichhane to be released on general bail.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had claimed that the defendants, including Lamichhane, proceeded with the CT scan machine procurement process maliciously through mutual collusion.

It was alleged that although the procurement was called for with provisions for a national-level tender, the provision for an international-level tender was later inserted, and a contract was made to pay Himalayan Meditech Pvt. Ltd., which did not meet the tender conditions, in US dollars.