The Special Court has ordered the release of CPN (UML) Vice Chairman and former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel on a general date. A bench comprising Justices Narayan Prasad Paudel, Dilliratna Shrestha, and Bidur Koirala issued the order on Friday to allow Paudel to face trial while remaining out of custody.
The Department of Money Laundering Investigation had filed a charge-sheet on Thursday, naming Paudel, five other individuals, and ten companies as defendants. Paudel faces claims for the recovery of Rs 209 million. The investigation dragged the former minister into the case based on statements given by Chunnu Prasad Paudel and Kamal Kishor Malpani during their interrogation.
According to the charge-sheet, Chunnu and Malpani alleged that the then-Finance Minister Paudel facilitated the sale of 2 million shares of Himalayan Reinsurance Limited.
Paudel, however, has rejected all allegations of wrongdoing in his statements to investigators. He maintained that his involvement was strictly limited to lawful, policy-level decisions and asserted that he had no connection to the alleged financial offenses.
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