The parliamentary special committee investigating the embezzlement of depositors’ funds by various cooperatives has decided to ask for documents from cooperatives that transferred funds to Gorkha Media Network.

According to committee chair Surya Thapa, the committee on Wednesday decided to request documents from nine cooperatives listed in Schedule 2 of the working procedures.

Thapa said the committee has decided to seek documents from the institutions listed in Schedule 2 that are Ideal Yamuna Multipurpose Cooperative, Image Savings and Credit Cooperative Ltd, Sahara Savings and Credit Cooperative, Samanta Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sano Paila Savings and Credit Cooperative, Supreme Savings and Credit Cooperative, Surya Darshan Savings and Credit Cooperative, Sumeru Savings and Credit Cooperative, and Swarna Lakshmi Savings and Credit Cooperative.

“We have decided to request the nine cooperatives listed in the schedule to provide the documents. This includes their latest annual general meeting reports, audit reports, details of the board of directors, information on the audit supervision committee and its reports, other essential financial details, and the status of funds transferred to Gorkha Media Network through these cooperatives,” Thapa said.

“The committee is focused on the funds transferred to Gorkha Media Network from various cooperatives. We are proceeding with our investigation. We have reviewed reports from previous investigation committees and commissions.”

Gitendra Babu (GB) Rai, the chairman of the media house, is accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of rupees in collusion with different cooperatives in Kaski, Chitwan, and Butwal. Rai is currently on the run.

After weeks of negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties, a seven-member committee led by CPN-UML lawmaker Thapa was constituted on May 28 to investigate the embezzlement of deposits in dozens of cooperatives around the country.

As per the terms of reference, the committee will investigate the crisis-ridden cooperatives, their legal and institutional purposes, financial systems, regulations, supervision and transparency, and make recommendations to the government.

Another task is to recommend measures for the immediate return of savings to the depositors of the problematic cooperatives identified by the Department of Cooperatives and the Crisis-ridden Cooperatives Management Committee.

The probe panel was formed after the main opposition Nepali Congress disrupted parliamentary proceedings for over two months demanding such a body be constituted to investigate cooperative scams.

The issue got complicated as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane, who is the chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is also accused of misusing the money from various cooperatives. Lamichhane was managing director of Gorkha Media Network before joining politics.