Kathmandu, Oct 10: The Lalitpur District Court has ordered the arrest of All Nepal Football Association President Pankaj Bikram Nembang and General Secretary Kiran Rai in a case involving alleged financial irregularities, fraud and match-fixing.
A bench of District Judge Bhagwati Sharma Dhungana ordered arrest warrants against Nembang and Rai, who remain at large, according to court Information Officer Tikadhwaj Karki.
The same bench ordered the release on bail of ANFA Treasurer Rabindra Joshi and Accounts Officer Sanjeev Pandey. Joshi was granted bail of Rs 1.5 million and Pandey Rs 1.2 million. The Central Investigation Bureau had arrested them earlier during its investigation.
Based on the CIB report, the Lalitpur District Government Attorney’s Office filed charges against all four officials on Thursday, claiming Rs 9.3 million in losses.
One major allegation concerns Nepal’s home match against Bahrain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, originally scheduled at Dasharath Stadium on March 21, 2024. Prosecutors allege the match was deliberately shifted to Bahrain and that $20,000 in ticket revenue owed to ANFA by the Bahrain Football Association was misappropriated instead of being deposited into ANFA’s account.
Investigators have also alleged procurement irregularities. ANFA rules require competitive bidding for purchases exceeding Rs 1 million, but prosecutors say three fictitious firms under common ownership were used to obtain quotations and bypass tender requirements.
The charge sheet also alleges irregularities in the distribution of 330 online tickets provided by FIFA to ANFA for the 2026 World Cup. Prosecutors claim the tickets were distributed without transparency and sold privately and on the black market.
Rai is separately accused of personally receiving and misappropriating Rs 2.5 million that should have gone into ANFA’s account under a sponsorship agreement with Sherpa Outdoor.
Prosecutors have sought Rs 9,300,900 in compensation for ANFA and additional payments to the Victim Relief Fund.
The charge sheet leaves open the possibility of additional charges if investigators uncover evidence implicating other ANFA officials or employees. Authorities could also open a money laundering investigation if evidence shows that proceeds from the alleged offenses were used to acquire or transfer assets.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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