Kathmandu, February 9
The Kathmandu District Government Attorney Office has begun an investigation in response to a complaint related to the Rabi Lamichhane passport case.
“Today, we opened the case as we decided to call for related documents from the District Administration Office, Department of Immigration and Department of Passports,” a government attorney says, “Once we study the reports, we will forward the Rabi Lamichhane passport case to the police for further investigation.”
The Rastriya Swatantra Party chairman is accused of obtaining a Nepali passport based on illegitimate Nepali citizenship in 2015 May. From 2015 until he renounced his US citizenship in 2018, he had passports from two countries; Nepal’s law does not allow this.
Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that Lamichhane’s old citizenship was cancelled when he migrated to the United States and obtained American citizenship, and he could no more use his old Nepali citizenship certificate.
Whereas the verdict had snatched the powerful deputy prime ministerial position from Lamichhane, it has been said that Lamichhane could be barred from contesting any election if he loses the passport case.
