KATHMANDU, June 23: The Special Court has granted the Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) permission to keep CPN-UML Vice-chair and former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel in judicial custody for seven days to facilitate investigation into alleged illicit financial dealings.
A bench comprising Judges Narayan Prasad Paudel, Hemant Rawal, and Umesh Koirala issued the order on Tuesday, allowing the department to proceed with its inquiry.
DoMLI initiates probe as concerns of suspected money laundering...
Paudel was arrested in Surkhet on Monday while attending a party program and was subsequently flown to Kathmandu via Nepalgunj. He was produced before the Special Court on Tuesday and placed under judicial detention.
Officials said the investigation is focused on Paudel’s stock market transactions and the suspected sources of his wealth. A senior source at the department confirmed that scrutiny is underway regarding possible irregularities in his financial dealings.
Paudel, a senior UML leader who previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, is being questioned at the department’s office in Pulchowk, Lalitpur.
Meanwhile, the UML has convened both a parliamentary party meeting and a central secretariat meeting to discuss Paudel’s arrest and the party’s future strategy.
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