Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is set to return to Nepal on Tuesday, over five months after leaving the country for “medical treatment”.

Deuba, who travelled to Singapore on February 25 with his chief personal secretary, Bhanu Deuba, is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on the evening of August 11, according to Nepali Congress leader Prakash Sharan Mahat, a close associate of Deuba.

“I have confirmed that Sher Bahadur is arriving,” Mahat told Kantipur. “I do not know whether Arzu Rana Deuba or others will be accompanying him.”

Deuba’s return comes as his faction of the Nepali Congress prepares for a national gathering scheduled for August 14-16. The event is expected to bring together leaders from various levels of the party, people’s representatives, former office-bearers, supporters and representatives from Congress diaspora organisations.

According to organisers, invitations have been extended to central office-bearers and members elected during the party’s 14th general convention, former central leaders, as well as former ministers and lawmakers elected or appointed from the party.

Deuba and his wife, former foreign minister Arzu, had remained abroad while facing a money-laundering investigation by the Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DMLI) and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police.

The couple had travelled overseas citing health reasons. Arzu had travelled to India before joining Deuba in Singapore. Their stay abroad was later extended after authorities issued arrest warrants against them as part of the investigation.

The government issued arrest warrants against the couple on April 7. Since they were outside Nepal, the Nepal Police’s Interpol division was asked to seek Red Notices against them. However, Interpol declined the requests.

The couple later challenged the warrants through their legal representatives. The Supreme Court issued an interim order directing authorities not to arrest them, stating that the warrants had become ineffective because cases investigated by the DMLI fall under the jurisdiction of the Special Court.

In June, Deuba and Arzu sent separate letters to the DMLI through email and courier from abroad, saying they intended to return to Nepal within two months and cooperate with the investigation.

In the letters addressed to the department’s director general, the couple said they had not fled the country and were abroad for medical treatment. They also requested authorities not to take any measures that could obstruct their return.

“We are acting in good faith and are fully prepared to cooperate with the investigation,” the letters stated, according to officials familiar with the correspondence.

They argued that public narratives portraying them as absconding had damaged their reputation and sought assurances that they could return safely.