Nepal court jails two ex-ministers, 14 others over fake refugee documents — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): A court in Nepal has sentenced two former government ministers and 14 others to prison for forging documents to falsely identify Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees for resettlement in the United States. Kathmandu District Court sentenced Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, a former deputy prime minister and energy minister, to four years in prison for offences including crimes against the state, fraud and involvement in organised crime, Reuters reported. It also sentenced former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand to two years in prison as an accomplice, according to a court document. The rulings were handed down late on Tuesday. Lawyers for both former officials said their clients were innocent and would appeal against the verdict. The court also sentenced 14 others, including a former senior Home Ministry official and a former leader of Bhutanese refugees, to prison terms of up to four years. Reuters said the case has regained attention as Nepal’s new government, led by Balendra Shah, the country’s 36-year-old former mayor, has made tackling corruption in previous administrations one of its priorities.