The parliamentary special committee formed to investigate the embezzlement of public funds by various cooperatives has directed the government to present the 18 individuals accused of fraud, including GB Rai of Pokhara-based Suryadarshan Cooperatives.

The meeting of the committee, which also had the participation of Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak along with high-ranking officials from the ministry and Nepal Police, asked the government to make the accused absconding or in hiding abroad available before the committee for interrogation on the issue.

Also, Secretary Ek Narayan Aryal of the Home Ministry and Inspector General of Nepal Police Basant Bahadur Kunwar, among other senior officials, were present at the meeting on Monday.

Surya Thapa, the coordinator of the parliamentary committee, said that Home Minister Lekhak assured the committee of cooperation from the government.

“The committee directed the government to present 18 people, including GB Rai, who are still in hiding or are staying abroad for the probe,” Thapa said after the meeting. “The home minister has assured of full cooperation from the government in the committee’s efforts.”

According to police investigations, over a billion rupees from several cooperatives were transferred to the GB Rai-led Gorkha Media Network. On the information that he had already fled the country, Interpol issued a diffusion notice against him in January.

The committee has asked the government to help arrange interrogation of the absconding people on the issue. The individuals who the committee wants to interrogate are GB Rai, Gyan Bahadur Bamjan, Bhupendra Rai and Than Bahadur Budha Magar of Suryadarshan Saving and Credit Cooperative, Pokhara; Bharat Maharjan, Rajmaya Maharjan, Sachin Maharjan and Sarala Maharjan of Sumeru Saving and Credit Cooperative, Lalitpur; Tej Bahadur Bamjan of Image Savings, Pokhara; Chhela Nepali and Deepak Paudel of Image Savings and Cooperative, Baglung; Tasbiran Khatun and Ashraf Ali of Sano Paila Saving and Credit Cooperative, Birgunj; Sagar KC of Sahara Saving and Cooperative, Chitwan; Lilia Nath Gautam and Tej Bahadur Bamjan of Shiva Shikhar Multipurpose Cooperative, Bhaktapur; Maha Shankar Regmi of Megha Dreams Cooperative, Kathmandu; and Premdhoj Lama of Kantipur Cooperative, Kathmandu.