KATHMANDU, Aug 15: The ruling parties have concluded that there is no need to form a high-level judicial committee to investigate the recent gold smuggling case.

A meeting of the top leaders of the ruling parties held at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence in Baluwatar on Monday evening made the decision not to form a high-level judicial committee to investigate the gold smuggling case as demanded by the main opposition party, CPN-UML. The top leaders of the ruling parties argued that such a move would not only derail the ongoing investigation but also prolong the investigation further.

A team of Revenue Investigation Department (DRI) had seized a huge amount of gold from Sinamangal on August 18. Following the seizure, the main opposition party raised questions about the role of Home Minister and Finance Minister and demanded the formation of a high-level investigation committee to investigate the gold smuggling case.

The UML has also been obstructing the parliament meeting since then.  The party has maintained that CIB cannot independently investigate the case as it is under the influence of the government.

The meeting of the ruling parties was focused mainly on lifting the parliament obstruction. The ruling parties have concluded that they cannot fulfill the demands of the UML.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had sought cooperation saying that the government has carried out an independent investigation without any political interference in the investigation from Lalita Niwas to gold smuggling case. "Anyone from any party will be investigated including from my own party. Therefore, the alliance should help the investigation without questioning our intention,” a ruling party leader quoted Prime Minister Dahal as saying in the meeting.

According to CPN (Unified Socialist) Vice Chairman Rajendra Pandey, the meeting also discussed the connection of Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara in the gold smuggling in electronic cigarettes (Vape). After the leaders of the alliance raised questions, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha had said that the matter is being investigated and they have yet to reach any conclusion on this issue

The decision of the ruling coalition comes shortly after the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) stood against the demand put forth by the main opposition party as well as a section of its own lawmakers to form a high-level judicial committee to investigate the infamous 100 kg gold smuggling case.

A Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting of the NC that concluded on Monday after a deliberation on various issues for the past three days decided that the case will be investigated by the state agencies concerned. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police is currently investigating the case after the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) sought its help.

The decision of NC not to stand in favor of forming a high-level judicial committee to investigate the gold smuggling case comes amid the repeated obstruction of federal parliament by the main opposition party, UML, to form such a committee.

Arguing that the CIB and DRI cannot take statements from the prime minister, home minister and finance minister in such cases, several NC lawmakers had argued that the party should stand in favor of the formation of a high-level committee or a judicial committee to investigate the case. However, the PP meeting decided that state agencies should be allowed to do their work as they are competent enough to deal with those cases. The party also maintained that there is no need to form any such committee.

"In order to investigate cases including gold, we have requested the government to conduct an independent, impartial and in-depth investigation and prosecute whoever is involved," said NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak after the meeting. “We want the government agencies to take this issue seriously and conclude with transparency.”

 
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