DoRI summons Bikal Paudel’s wife in case of illegal acquisition of assets – myRepublica

KATHMANDU, Aug 31: The Department of Revenue Investigation (DoRI) has issued a summons to Elina Basnet, wife of Bikal Paudel, former managing director of Security Printing Center, giving her seven days’ notice to appear. Basnet currently resides in Syracuse, New York, USA.

The DoRI has directed them to report within this period and clarified that the notice was issued under the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act 2019 and the Revenue Leakage (Investigation and Control) Act 2052.

Elina Basnet, whose husband Bikal Paudel was found guilty by the Special Court in a corruption case, is now under investigation. The Commission to Investigate Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has launched an investigation against Basnet in connection with the illegal acquisition of assets.

According to sources, Paudel has been illegally transferring money to the US under his wife’s name. This is why Basnet is also being investigated. The CIAA has demanded the confiscation of Paudel and Basnet’s property.

The CIAA has sought seizure of funds deposited in the names of Elina Basnet and Bikal Paudel in Bank of America National Association, USA and United Overseas Bank, Singapore. According to the CIAA, a total of Rs 289.58 million was deposited, of which Rs 15.27 million was given to Basnet as a gift for purchasing a house in the USA. The CIAA claims that no source was provided for the remaining Rs 44.26 million used for the house purchase.

In mid-May, the Supreme Court sentenced Paudel and three others to two years in prison for embezzling Rs 96.2 million in the procurement of a security printing machine, causing losses of over Rs 254.7 million to the Nepal government. In addition, the Special Court sentenced Paudel to one year in prison and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 in another case involving false statements.

Two other cases are pending against Paudel, seeking the refund of Rs 400 million for illegally acquired assets and irregularities in obtaining press material. During the ongoing investigation, it was revealed that Paudel had bought a house worth Rs 70 million in New York in the name of his wife. Basnet, a doctor at the Upstate Cancer Center in New York, is also named in the investigation.

The notice issued by the DoRI under the Foreign Exchange (Regulation) Act 2019 and the Revenue Leakage (Investigation and Control) Act 2052 said that if Basnet does not appear within a week, legal action will be initiated under existing laws.

The CIAA filed a case against Paudel before the special court on May 22 for illegal acquisition of assets. The commission has sought seizure of assets in the names of Paudel, his wife Elina Basnet, his father Dharma Prasad Sharma Poudel and his mother Sheetal Poudel. The CIAA has also sought seizure of assets in foreign banks.