Nepal Attorney General Extends Charge Amendment to All Defendants Amid Controversy, Bar Association Calls for Reversal
Umesh Dhakal
KNA-Canberra
Nepal’s Attorney General, Sabita Bhandari, has decided to apply amendments to charges related to money laundering and organised crime to all defendants, following controversy over an earlier decision that applied only to Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Ravi Lamichhane.
The initial move—granting approval to amend indictments solely in Lamichhane’s cases—sparked widespread criticism and legal challenges. A writ petition has already been filed at the Supreme Court, while the Nepal Bar Association, legal professionals, and other stakeholders have urged the Attorney General to withdraw the decision.
On Friday, Attorney General Bhandari announced that district public prosecutor offices have now been authorised to amend indictments on organised crime and money laundering charges against all defendants involved in cooperative fraud cases nationwide.
The Attorney General’s Office acknowledged that limiting the approval to a single individual was an error and said the revised decision would be implemented uniformly, using the same standards for all cases of a similar nature.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Bar Association has issued a strong statement opposing the decision, arguing that it contradicts existing legal provisions and principles established by the Supreme Court on the withdrawal or amendment of criminal cases. The Bar warned that selective or blanket prosecutorial decisions could interfere with judicial authority, undermine the independence of the judiciary, and weaken Nepal’s criminal justice system.
The association further cautioned that the politicisation of crime and criminalisation of politics risk fostering impunity, and has demanded that the Attorney General’s decision be immediately revoked to uphold the rule of law.
(This report is based on publicly available information, including media reports by E-kantipur.)
