A court in Nepal has sentenced two former government ministers and 14 other people to prison for their involvement in a major document-forgery scheme that falsely identified Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees seeking resettlement in the United States.
The Kathmandu District Court sentenced Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, a former deputy prime minister and energy minister, to four years in prison after finding him guilty of offences including crimes against the state, fraud and involvement in organised crime. The verdict was delivered late on Tuesday.
Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand was sentenced to two years in prison for his role as an accomplice, according to a court document. Both former ministers have denied wrongdoing, with their lawyers maintaining that they are innocent and confirming that they plan to appeal the court's decision.
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The case centres on allegations that Nepali citizens were falsely included in official records as Bhutanese refugees in an attempt to facilitate their resettlement in the United States. The scam had triggered widespread public outrage and raised serious questions about corruption and the misuse of government institutions.
The court also sentenced 14 other accused persons to prison terms of up to four years. Those convicted include a former senior official of Nepal's Home Ministry and a former leader of Bhutanese refugees.
The verdict has drawn renewed attention in Nepal as the country's new government, led by 36-year-old former mayor Balendra Shah, has made fighting corruption and holding officials from previous administrations accountable a key priority. The case is being closely watched as an early test of the government's pledge to take action against alleged corruption in the country's political and administrative system.
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