Pokhara, 4 August । The CPN-UML Gandaki Province Committee has suspended two of its members following their implication in the ‘Lichibagecha’ bribery scandal. The decision was made during a meeting held on Saturday and Sunday, according to the committee’s secretary, Dhananjaya Dawadi. The suspended individuals are Sujan Lama, a member of the Provincial Advisory Council, and K. Giri, a member of the Industry and Commerce Department.
Lama’s suspension came after an audio recording was made public, in which he was heard bargaining with former Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Rajkumar Gupta. The scandal led to Gupta’s resignation from his ministerial post. Dawadi stated that Lama was suspended after his explanation regarding the incident was deemed unsatisfactory.
Further investigation revealed that K. Giri is the pseudonym for Kapil Giri, an officer at the Pokhara Metropolitan City. Dawadi explained that Giri had used a fake name to obtain party membership, violating the legal provision that prohibits civil servants from joining political parties. Giri was previously caught red-handed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in March, while accepting a bribe of NRs 25,000 from a metropolitan employee under the pretense of resolving a case filed at the CIAA. Both members will remain suspended from the party until they are cleared of all charges.
