Nepal ex-ministers among 30 people charged in fake Bhutanese refugee scam

Prosecutors in Nepal on Wednesday charged 30 people, including two former cabinet ministers over allegations that they collected large amounts of money from Nepali nationals, promising to help them relocate overseas as Bhutanese refugees.

The District Attorney's Office here has filed a 224-page charge-sheet at the Kathmandu District Court.

Former Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand and former Deputy Prime Minister Tope Bahadur Rayamajhi were among 16 people arrested and charged, officials said.

The remaining 14 are still absconding, they said.

Rayamajhi has now been suspended as the secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) party.

"Claim amount of Rs 270 million has been demanded from those who are sued," District Attorney Mahesh Khatri said.

Those involved have allegedly swindled around 875 Nepali nationals of millions of rupees," according to the Kathmandu Post newspaper.

The attorney office said all of the 30 individuals were prosecuted on four types of crimes treason, organised crime, fraud and forgery, the Post report said.

Meanwhile, it still remains unclear whether anyone has gone abroad using the fake refugee documents.