Kathmandu, April 9
The government has decided to suspend Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari. A recent cabinet meeting has also formed a three-member investigation committee to look into some charges against him.
Amid the rising economic crisis in Nepal, the tussle between the Ministry of Finance and the government’s financial advisory body, Nepal Rastra Bank, also the banking regulator of the country, is widening. Amid this scenario, the government claims it has received complaints that Adhikari was involved in leaking crucial banking information before the decision-making among other anomalies.
The Nepal Rastra Bank Act has it that the governor or any official of the central bank is automatically suspended once the government launches an investigation against them. Accordingly, Deputy Governor Neelam Dhungana has been given the authority to act as the governor.
The team formed to investigate charges against Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari includes former Supreme Court justice Purushottam Bhandari as the coordinator, and Surya Thapa and Chandra Kanta Paudel as the members. It is mandated to submit its report within one month.
A reliable source at the Finance Ministry reveals the government plans to remove him from the position after the probe.
