CIB recommends Red Notice for two, including Dhanraj Gurung’s ex-wife, in Miteri Cooperative fraud case Khabarhub

KATHMANDU: Nepal Police’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) has recommended issuing red notices to two persons accused of embezzling funds from Miteri Savings and Credit Cooperative Society in Lalitpur.

The cooperative, located in Mahalaxmisthan, Lalitpur, is under investigation for theft of Rs 148.1 million in savings.

The CIB has sought red notices against Jyoti Gurung, ex-wife of Nepali Congress vice-president Dhanraj Gurung, and Jyoti Bahadur Bhandari of Bardiya, who are both involved in the cooperative scam. However, Dhanraj Gurung is still not prosecuted as he and Jyoti Gurung are divorced.

However, there are suspicions that they went their separate ways while trying to protect assets.

Interestingly, the investigation found that even after the divorce, Dhanraj repaid the loan to the cooperative. The investigation revealed that Dhanraj received Rs 9.2 million from Min Bahadur Gurung, owner of Bhatbhateni Supermarket, to repay this loan, but no investigation has been carried out against him so far.

The court also issued arrest warrants against Jyoti Gurung, Jyoti Bahadur Bhandari, Sujan Shakya, Hitman Thapa and Prakash Yadav for their involvement in misappropriation of cooperative funds.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress MP and former minister Dhanraj Gurung maintains that he had nothing to do with the cooperative fraud case and that he cannot be blamed for the mistakes made by his ex-wife.