The Kaski District Court has concluded recording of the statement of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chair and former home minister Rabi Lamichhane, regarding charges of cooperative fraud, organised crime, and money laundering.

Lamichhane’s testimony was recorded over two days—Thursday and Friday—under the bench of Judge Nitij Rai. While recording his statement, Lamichhane denied having knowledge of the diversion of funds from the Suryadarshan Cooperative to Gorkha Media Network, where he formerly served as managing director.

The Kaski District Police filed charges against Lamichhane and 44 others on Sunday, accusing them of defrauding the cooperative. The case involves a claim of Rs1.51 billion against 63 individuals, including former DIG Chhabi Lal Joshi and Lila Pachhai.

The court proceedings, which began on Monday, have already heard statements from Joshi and Pachhai. Lamichhane’s statement recording commenced on Thursday following Pachhai’s testimony.

Lamichhane and others face accusations of misappropriating cooperative savings and engaging in money laundering, with significant damages claimed in the case. Testimonies for other accused, including Ram Bahadur Khanal, are scheduled to continue from Sunday.