The Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport has submitted details to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police regarding Nepalis who traveled to Spain on visit visas in June.
Concerns were raised in Parliament about some Nepalis who allegedly did not return to Nepal after traveling to Spain on visit visas for an event also attended by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. A six-member committee led by Senior Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati of the CIB has been investigating the matter since July 15.
The CIB had requested the TIA Immigration Office for details of all those who traveled to Spain. The office has provided the information.
“The details requested from the Immigration Office have been received. Now, we will analyze them,” a committee source said. “It’s not that people can’t go to Spain. Since we just received the response, we still need to determine how many returned and how many have yet to return.”
The source added that the investigation will now focus on distinguishing between those who genuinely went for tourism, those who attended the event, and those who used the event as a pretext to travel to Spain.
While all those who were part of the delegation led by PM Oli have returned, the CIB believes 49 others may have traveled through NGOs or independently.
The delegation led by PM Oli departed from Kathmandu on June 28 for Seville in Spain to attend the International Conference on Financing for Development of the United Nations (FfD-4) and returned on July 4.
The CIB has requested the Spanish Embassy in New Delhi to provide visa details of all those who traveled to Spain to participate in the event.
According to the source, the CIB’s letter inquires about those who attended the event, their visa details, the institutions or mediums through which they traveled, their accommodation arrangements, and their financial aspects.
“Correspondence has been sent, but a response is yet to be received. It may take time,” the CIB source said.
The committee led by SSP Bogati raided a travel agency in Kathmandu during the investigation but found no relevant details.
The committee is also investigating other travel agencies and NGOs, compiling a list for further scrutiny.
More than 100 people, apart from the PM-led delegation, had obtained visas to attend the event in Spain. However, 55 individuals were deboarded before the flight as they were found to have forged documents.
“Fifty-five people were sent back at the last moment for using fake documents,” the source said.
After PM Oli returned from Spain, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Sobita Gautam raised the issue in the House of Representatives on July 8, citing news reports that some of those who attended the event in Spain had not returned.
The prime minister’s secretariat challenged her to provide the names of the those who had not returned, claiming she implied those traveling with Oli did not return. Gautam later clarified that she meant those who attended the event, not those traveling with the prime minister.
Following her statement, several news reports highlighted that some individuals had not returned to Nepal from the Spain trip.
Subsequently, on July 14, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak directed Home Secretary Gokarna Mani Duwadi and Inspector General of Police Deepak Thapa to investigate the matter.
Following the directive, a committee comprising the CIB and the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau was formed to investigate the details of those who traveled to Spain outside the official delegation, the institutions through which they traveled, who handled their visa process and other arrangements, and who coordinated their trips.
The committee is preparing to submit its report to the CIB after completing its investigation into the visit visa issue. It will also provide recommendations on potential actions.
“We are still in the process of investigation. It will be clear in the conclusion what actions will be taken,” the source said.
Another source said that some individuals may even have forged government documents, which is also under investigation by the committee.
