The Inquiry Commission on Gold Smuggling has said in its report that gross negligence was committed during investigation to protect Jeevan Chalaune and other people linked to him.
On July 18 last year, a team from the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) confiscated a huge quantity of gold during a cargo inspection after it had passed undetected through the airport customs. Dawa Tsering, a Belgian national of Chinese origin, was arrested in connection with the case on July 30.
Chalaune, who hails from Bardiya, was constantly in touch with Tsering and had talked about the gold through different mediums. He also enjoys high political access.
The commission suspects there was gross negligence in the investigation against Chalaune and the statement and evidence he provided were also destroyed. The commission’s report has recommended an investigation into the matter.
Chalaune is currently at large.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had investigated the gold smuggling case before the commission was formed. It had summoned Chalaune at the time and recorded his statement for four hours. Chalaune had also provided various documents to the CIB then.
But the CIB did not mention anything related to Chalaune including his statement and evidence when preparing the charge sheet.
“Chalaune had given a long statement at the CIB, he had also provided documents, this can be confirmed,” a member of the inquiry commission told Setopati. “It is already known that the CIB had kept him four hours and let him go after making him sign a document. He has also said that the CIB chief had first questioned him informally and that he had given a long statement at the office later.”
In his statement to the commission, Chalaune had said that he had given a four-hour-long statement to the CIB and left all the documents in his possession at the CIB.
But the CIB did not mention anything related to Chalaune when submitting the investigation documents to the commission and during the oral statement to the commission, a member of the commission told Setopati.
“He [Chalaune] has said that he had given the documents he possessed. Those documents and the statement he gave have been concealed from us. The documents can’t be found. Evidence is also missing,” the commission member said. “There has been gross negligence in the CIB’s investigation.”
Officials at the Home Ministry said that the CIB had even refused to investigate Chalaune earlier.
Chalaune was later summoned for recording his statement but apparently not all the evidence was presented, a Home Ministry official said.
Dawa Tsering, the main accused in the 60 kg gold smuggling case, had also said in his statement to the CIB that Chalaune was involved in the scam.
Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane also said that evidence was destroyed during the gold smuggling investigation.
“It is gross negligence by high-ranking officials involved in the investigation to destroy statement and try to protect the main accused,” he said.
The government had formed the inquiry commission after the then main opposition CPN-UML repeatedly obstructed House proceedings saying the CIB’s investigation would not be satisfactory.
The commission has recommended departmental action against CIB chief AIG Kiran Bajracharya and three other police officers citing non-cooperation by the CIB during investigation.
“The evidence that was found has not been kept in the records, has not been given to the inquiry commission. Chalaune himself has said that he had given a statement for four hours and asked to check the CCTV [footage] for evidence. But no information was given on what happened for four hours,” the commission member told Setopati.
Coordinator of the commission Dilli Raj Acharya said that they have divided the report into four parts.
The 485-page report mentions the work done by the commission in the first 380 pages. Another 100 pages include suggestions from various people, while the last five pages comprise the conclusion and recommendations.
