CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal gave details about achievements of the government led by him while presenting the political and organization report in the party's central committee meeting that started Wednesday.
He talked about the government's action in fake Bhutanese refugees scam, Baluwatar land grab scam, legislation against loan sharks, Citizenship Act and many other issues. But he glaringly did not mention confiscation of around 100 kilograms of gold brought on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong hidden inside brake shoes used in scooters at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on July 18.
Confiscation of such a huge quantity of smuggled gold is being taken as one of the biggest achievements of the Dahal government. But he did not mention that among seemingly lesser achievements of his government regarding good governance and corruption control.
There was no question of him talking about confiscation of the nine kilograms of smuggled gold in which the police have mentioned about communication of CPN (Maoist Center) Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara and his son Rahul Mahara with the smugglers.
"A senior vice-chair sits to the right of Dahal. He is the country's home minister, another vice-chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who has been accused of gold smuggling, sits near the home minister," a central member said. "Deputy General Secretary Barsha Man Pun, who has also been accused, sits in the last row. But the chairman's report does not even try to answer the questions raised about the party's leaders. Chairman comrade may have found it difficult."
No central member, who has spoken in the meeting till now, has asked about gold smuggling like Dahal.
The investigation report submitted by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police to the District Government Attorney’s Office after investigating smuggling of gold disguised as e-cigarettes concluded that Maoist leader Mahara and his son Rahul Mahara had contacted smugglers.
Dawa Tsering, who has been arrested in connection to smuggling of around 100 kilograms of gold, is linked with Deputy General Secretary Barsha Man Pun and his wife and former speaker Onsari Gharti Magar, and the family of former vice-president Nanda Kishore Pun.
The accused leaders Mahara and Barsha Man Pun themselves have called for investigation after accusations against them even though the issue has not been discussed in the central committee meeting.
Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha had remarked that the guilty would not be spared whether they were from Kot (KP Oli’s residence Balkot) or Tar (PM’s residence Baluwatar) after recovery of around 100 kilograms of gold from the TIA. But the party has not discussed the issue in the central committee meeting even though both the prime minister and the home minister are from the party.
Shrestha also did not talk about gold smuggling while addressing the meeting on Thursday. "The case of Mahara was investigated by the CIB. Shrestha should have arrested Mahara after revelation of all those facts. But he looks toward Mahara and smiles. Those of us looking from the other side feel ashamed," another central member stated.
