Kathmandu, April 25: The government has pulled back Nepal’s Consul General in Hong Kong, Bindeswar Prasad Lekhak, after allegations surfaced that he assisted former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, who are currently in Hong Kong despite facing arrest warrants in Nepal.
The Kathmandu District Court issued the warrants on April 9 following a request from the Department of Money Laundering Investigation. Since then, the couple has been listed as fugitives. Officials say Lekhak provided logistical and personal support to the Deubas after they arrived in Hong Kong via Singapore, prompting his recall.
A Cabinet decision on Thursday ordered Lekhak to return to Kathmandu within 20 days. Government spokesperson Sasmit Pokhrel confirmed the move but avoided detailing the reasons. Still, multiple officials indicated the decision was tied directly to Lekhak’s continued assistance to the couple even after legal action had been initiated against them.
Interestingly, three other consuls general appointed under the same political quota during the KP Sharma Oli government remain in their posts, raising quiet questions about selective accountability.
The Deubas’ current situation traces back to last year, when they were injured during a violent protest and later traveled to Singapore for medical treatment. They returned there again earlier this year before heading to Hong Kong, where they are now staying in a rented home in Stanley under private security.
Authorities in Nepal have frozen their assets as part of the investigation. However, the government has yet to issue an Interpol Red Notice, which would formally seek their international arrest.
Deuba, a five-time prime minister, faces allegations of amassing wealth through abuse of office dating back decades. He has denied all charges.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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