८ अर्ब बचत अपचलन आरोपका सीबी लामा पक्राउCB Lama, Accused of Embezzling Rs 8 Billion in Savings, Arrested

Kathmandu — CB (Chandra Bahadur) Lama, accused of embezzling around Rs 8 billion in savings from two cooperative institutions, has been arrested. Detained in Bharatpur, Chitwan, on Friday, he was made public on Sunday by the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office.

The 49-year-old Lama, a permanent resident of Temal Rural Municipality–5 in Kavre, had an arrest warrant issued against him by the Kathmandu District Court on Falgun 20, 2080. Since then, he had been hiding in Bharatpur in a rented flat to evade police. According to police, he changed flats every month to keep his location from being traced. Four mobile phones and six SIM cards were recovered from his possession at the time of arrest.

Lama is the former chairperson of Kantipur Saving and Credit Cooperative. He is accused of embezzling roughly Rs 6 billion from Kantipur Cooperative and Rs 2 billion from Pashupati Saving and Credit Cooperative — nearly Rs 8 billion in savings in total. Police say he invested the cooperative funds under personal ownership in real estate, private companies, resorts, hospitals and colleges.

Kantipur Cooperative still holds around Rs 6.13 billion in savings belonging to nearly 7,000 depositors. During the investigation, former chairperson Lama, along with current chairperson Himalaya Bikram Malla Thakuri and managing director Premdhwaj Tamang among others, are accused of channelling the cooperative's funds into real estate, crusher industries, hospitals and colleges.

According to details submitted to the Department of Cooperatives, the Lama group is found to have purchased more than 400 ropanis of land across various districts including Kavre, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Makwanpur, Morang and Khotang. Properties linked to the cooperative have also come to light in Kathmandu areas such as Pharping, Budhanilkantha, Teku, Lazimpat, New Baneshwar and Bouddha.

In addition to cooperative fraud, Lama also faces four banking offence cases, of which he remains absconding in three, police said. He had earlier been held in custody in a cooperative fraud case but fled from Dillibazar prison during the JNG movement last Bhadau. Police say preparations are under way to send him back to jail following his arrest.