We always knew many businessmen in this country were corrupt and cheating the nation. While taking about the corruption of politicians only, the businessmen’s misdeeds were under shadow. In fact, they were the ones who promoted corruption in political circle. The government rarely took action against corrupt businessmen. We only heard about the blacklist but never saw the action against the blacklisted individuals. Here is a story of one such blacklisted and corrupt businessman who is now facing the action:
By Prem Khanal
Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of the apex body of business chambers, FNCCI, has been summoned by the government for swindling Rs 8.6 million by forging documents. Dhakal has so far ignored summons by the Revenue Investigation Department (RID). According to our source, the government is all set to use police, if he further delays in producing himself to RID. Once Dhakal presents himself at RID, he will have to deposit a bail amount of Rs 25.5 million to avoid detention. RID has alleged that Dhakal owned Momento Apparels, the largest garment factory of the country, cheated Rs 8.6 million in customs duty by producing forged documents at the bonded warehouse. On his part, Chandi Raj Dhakal has denied being involved in any such forgery. “Some error might have happened about a year-and-a-half ago when my factory was gutted by fire. I’m investigating the case, and will produce facts before the government soon,” he said. Dhakal said that the responsible person of Momento Apparels was out of the country now, so he was taking time to reply to the government summons.
Under the bonded warehouse facility, all export-oriented companies including readymade garments are allowed to import raw materials at zero percent duty. However, exporters are required to submit cash deposit or bank guarantee equivalent to customs duty applicable on the materials, plus VAT. The duty paid is refunded after the importer exports the finished goods made from the imported raw materials. Momento Apparels did not export the garment products made from the imported consignment of fabrics, but only produced fake documents and got the duties refunded.
Sources told The Kathmandu Post that Dhakal’s defiance has irritated the government. “The limit to tolerance has been exceeded, it is time to take action,” said a high level source at the Ministry of Finance. The source said that given his position as the president of the apex body of the private sector, Dhakal was given enough time to arrange a bail amount of Rs 25.5 million ever since the scam was detected about a month ago.
As per the Revenue Leakages (Investigation and Control) Act 2052, a defendant is required to submit a bail worth double the claimed amount to avoid detention. According to our source, Dhakal has been avoiding RID interrogation on the pretext of ill health. However, he was seen live on state-owned television as a judge of the Miss Nepal beauty pageant. The RID issued the first summons on April 1, asking him to be present on April 3, but Dhakal did not bother. He was then contacted on phone by RID officials and gave assurances that he would submit himself on Thursday or Friday.
The Momento Apparel’s forgery was first traced during an on-site audit inspection of Auditor General’s office and put the amount as arrears in the name of Department of Cust-oms. The Customs Department then handed-over the case to the RID given its complexities. The arrears amount by Auditor General’s office in the similar category is over Rs 120 million. So, it is likely that other garment industries might also come under investigation.
It seems the government has decided to take serious action against FNCCI president Dhakal. As per our political source, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat have signaled the RID to take action as per law. If indicted, Dhakal can face a jail term up to three years, and will have to pay Rs 25.5 million in fine.
United We Blog 
Comments
62 responses to “Story of How Chandi Raj Dhakal Looted Nepal”
Is not he the one who was on the street shouting against Maoist. Wow, the days for royalists are numbered. Hey Bhudai Pundit where are you to save your dirty mouth? What ever happened to most of the idiots barking here against Maoist. Always love to talk on Maoist excess and killings, never bother to comment on real killers as they are part of the killing gangs. Mahilo Shau and his Bhai-mara gangs will have to defend their killings of 28 killings in Rautahat. I am waiting for the day.
why does he not talk about girija and his ill gotten wealth or even a fraction of what sujata has and IS doing?
While the govt. is at it they should also catch all the mInisters and beureucrats in Dhakal’s pockets – let’s not just make him a scape goat, not to forget any maoists who have been extorting from him (just another form of corruption).
there is much corruption in many areas….
it is known that many people cheat the govt by avoiding taxes, false documents and fase auditing….usually in areas where there is a lot of investment….
..though it is good to point out one fellow…i think it is biased…as others are “pani mathiko ovano”……..
…i bet this guy is being pointed out because he has fallen out of the favor from strong parties……
He is a Businessman. Didn’t loot much money (even if we are to believe what Wagle and SPAM says). Let’s talk about how much has Girija and SPAM gang swindled.
Why does Mr Dhakal even accept the authority of this terrorist government? Who are these ganglords to question anybody?
Not defending Mr. Dhakal or other crooked ‘businessmen’ but the tax and corporate laws of this country are as the columnist Mr. Rakesh Wadhwa described ‘extornionate’. We all know that the tax officials are extortionists. Asking businessmen to develop better ethics is stupid-businessmen will always try to avoid paying taxes-anywhere in the world. The first thing the govt. should do is ensure that tax rates are fair and not extortionate and that tax laws are simple and easy to implement. Once this is done then they should ensure that there is an effective mechanism to weed out tax evaders. Ofcourse this is a pie in the sky thing as well as it is usually the tax men who teach the businessmen how to avoid taxes ofcourse for a fee.
oops typo ‘extortionate’
It is good to see the character check being done of the businessman, in the same way all the politician’s character check should be done before going to CA. All corrupt, incompetent, killer politician should be not be allowed to represent the people..
If this kind of “character check” goes on then I am afraid the Royal Commission for Abuse of Authority will be back to haunt SPAM.
chhorka kura nagarau
Kirat:
I completely agree with you. Which businessman is going to want to pay more money? Especially in Nepal where the government does nothing to help them in return. The government does not improve insfrasture, does nothing to help load shedding, does nothing to improve investment climate etc. of course if Dhakal was forging documents he needs to be proceuted. But to put the all the balme on the ‘evi;’ businessman and try and make it look like the government is a victim is but idiotic!
noname if this kind of “character check” goes on then no one in Nepal will be spared – including your beloved Royal family!
If Mr. Dhakal is guilty, then the Govt should prosecute him, but no witch hunting. He should get a fair hearing.
The Govt must revamp and reorient the tax office. The officials working in the tax office, harrash and give mental torture to the public when they go to pay tax. Without “ghoose” we cannot even pay our tax.
Dhakal is known to be one of the biggest defaulters of Nepal.. however, the timing of this recent charge brought against him and not surprisingly highlighted by this blog site is a big suspect… UWB and the maoists shared government is now trying to penalize Dhakal for his outspoken act during the recent locking of horns that the businessmen had with the terrorists. If this government is so keen about tax evaders and corrupt people, them it should also bring the likes of Sujata Koirala, Wagle, Joshi, and the minsiters of the Royal regime to the book. Its no point just trying to avenge Dhakal’s outright rejection of the Maoist ideology.
I remember the multinational banks i.e. Nepal Arab Bank, Nepal Grindlays and Nepal Indo-Suez would all have their tax filings rejected by the tax men every year because they paid exactly what they were supposed to pay in taxes as per the law and not one paisa in bribes. So the taxmen were always harassing them. No wonder Arab Bank and Indo-Suez decided to leave Nepal. This is the sort of enviroment the govt. and the tax regime creates for the business people. You are encouraged by the govt. and tax people to pay them bribes and avoid paying the govt. taxes. This is the truth.
I bet there is Roylist behind this! How is this semester going on?
I bet there is Roylist behind this! How is this semester going on?
FIRST AND FOREMOST All POLITICIANS…including GIRIJA and PRACHANDA… MUST BE FORCED TO DECLARE THEIR SOURCES OF INCOME own and that of their FAMILY ……..
Let us not allow them to get away with SELECTIVE witch hunting to deflect attention from their own misdeeds..
I do not think that govenment could punish Dhakal. I can easily bribe the government officials. He is shame on FNCCI and the country.
Opsss!!!
I mean, He can easily bribe the officials.
its all because of the King. Arko salik feri todnu paryo! Julus lagaunu paryo. ganatantra ghosana paryo..sabai kura afai band huncha.
In Nepal, the tax office beleives that a company cannot ever have a loss. The tax paid to the Govt cannot be less than what was paid the previous fiscal year. Thus companies are forced to “cook” their balance sheet.
The Govt must first clean up its tax collection procedures. I bet it was the tax officials who advised Mr. Dhakal to use these methods. It is the tax officials, who advice the companies to avoid and how to avoid taxes.
These corrupt officials must be fired and submission of taxes should be made simple and easier like in the USA.
Dhakal is no exception. Almost all Nepalese businessmen are like that only. Remember Jyoti? The American Ph. D. who cheated thousands of middle-class shareholders to amass a fortune in the name of Jyoti Spinning Mills and siphoned off the loot to Bombay and Gujrat? He was made the Finance Minister by looter-in-chief Gyanendra. Remember Amatya? This fellow looted savings of poor Nepalese from banks and invested the loot in Singapore. Remember Shresthas of Nepal Bangladesh Bank, Raddison Hotel and Hyatt? Together they have siphoned off billions to India, Thailand and Malaysia. They have no stake in Nepal. Remember Rajbhandaris of Necon, Ranas of Kathmandu Hotel or Chands of Basulinga Sugar? If Maoists hadn’t emerged, these b…..ds would have sold the country itself to Indians just as Nepalese businessmen sold Sikkim.
Scoop: I was reading your post and then towards the end I began to wonder if you are taking crack cocaine?
Bhudai, it is true that the immigrant Nepalis in Sikkhim were the ones who overwhelming voted for it’s joining the Indian Union.
Scoop is also right in stating that businessmen he has quoted are crooks. For them it was not simply a case of evading tax but they gleefully swindled the Nepali public of their hard earned money. These guys should be tried for their scams and punished severely like the Worldcom and Enron people.
previously it was sugatratna kansakar, now its chandi raj dhakal. wagle bro is after businessmen huh? la la commies propaganda mechine in its full swing.
Well if you are on crack and get over the high please continue to read…
Scoop or should I just call you DIMWIT MORON? If you bothered to get out of that cave you have been stuck under you would see that Businessmen all over the world are greedy bastards. Perhaps that’s the very nature of capitalism. You might have heard of a little company called Enron, Worldcom, Tyco etc. I could go and go. It’s the government’s responsibilty to provide regulation and oversight. Of course businessmen have to practice a certain degree of social responsibility but the onus is on the government. When the country’s top political leaders squandering the country’s couffers why would profit-seeking businessmen act like the red cross?
If the Maoists hadn’t emerged 13,000 people would still be alive. Thousands more wouldn’t be displaced and tortured. What very little infrastructure we had in the rural areas would be in tact. What little development we acheieved in terms of health care and education would be set back by 15 years. A generation of young boys and girls would be saved from experiencing the horrific violence and bloodshed.
Scoop, what you need a good spanking.
Chandi Bro,
Good job!!! Its better you evade the taxes. I would rather prefer you to have it than Chirin Jibi Wgle or those junglees in the camps.
By the way, dont pay tax unless you have to pay to this SPAB Government (SPA+ Barbarians). You are only paying you hard earned money to feed those blood sucking f’cking barbarians. We fed Shah for 200 years, Moron pro-indian leaders for 15 years and now we are paying barbarians. This has to end. Dont pay taxes.!!!!
bhudai,
you seem to be interested in spankin……
i think it energizes both the spanked and the spanker…..
To Jogi and all the SPA and Moist sympthizers, Chandi Dhakal is just a symptom of ailing Nepal not the cause. The main cause are this leaders and Maoist terrorists and corrupt beurocrats and politicians and bankers. It takes two to tango if buerocrats and polticians are honest and implemented rule of law to equally there will be very less corruption. It is our corrupt polticians and beurocrats who encourage this type of cheating so that they can get fat on peoples tax. Only blaming business people is not going to solve the problem. If Chandi dhakal breaks the law let him be punished but at the same time lets punish who is accomplish in this, they should be punished harder as it was duty of buerocra ts and politicians to enforce the law and administer the country. That is what they are paid for. If you want to punish chandi then punish the dhariwala arthmantri who is partner with most of these businessman then punish this koirala for lauda and mess, punish Maoist for destroying the economy and extortion of people, then only we can see justice. By the way you should also look into past of your Kantipur owners Gyawali who was top corrupt custom offician and by whose money you are running this blog and newspapers. If anyone has courage lets clean the fountain from top then blame other people. It is no use blaming just one guy when everybody is equally to blame for condition of this country. Afno aanga ma bhanisi nadakhanele ar ka ko ang ma jumra hernu bekar cha. Jay Nepal. Fuck SPAM.
But the problem here is Mr. Dhakal are well trained to cheat by government itself. It is open secrect that Mr. Dhakal being asked to provide bribery by the high profile congress leaders to sanction the loan in his initial project.
By blaming business community is not going to solve the problem. The problem will be solved only if government bureau will take the initiative against the corruption. Until and unless there is maximum punishment for corruption case, it is not going to sovle. Even today in almost all sectors bribery trend is still there although leaders are not tired of saying “New Nepal” to the poor and uneducated people. Corruptiont is still granted as open secrect to the people and no one hesitate to give bribery for their personal interest which even starts from media house to supreme court. No leaders till now got any punishment but they are being promoted one after another cases. First leaders especially of spaM who are being another autocratic ruler of today should take the initiatives.
No wonder Mr Dhakal was the main man to lead the protest of businessman against Maoist and the goverment.
nepalsport,
You may not know Mr. Dhakal belongs to congress as well.
Panditji, you are such a knowledgable and wise person. But please have a look at the record of businessmen of Nepal also. It’s impossible to find a single honest Nepalese businessman.
About your other comments:
(1) If the Maoists hadn’t emerged 13,000 people would still be alive.
–Please don’t be so sure. Royal-military coup would have probably killed more. Maoist insurgency pre-impted royal takeover by Birendra in 1996.
(2) Thousands more wouldn’t be displaced and tortured.
–Most of them have been maimed, killed and displaced by royal army.
(3) What very little infrastructure we had in the rural areas would be intact.
–Disinformation. Maoists disrupted minimum infrsatructure.
(4) What little development we acheieved in terms of health care and education would be set back by 15 years. A generation of young boys and girls would be saved from experiencing the horrific violence and bloodshed.
–This part is correct. Chairman Prachand must take responsibility and immediately enforce compulsory and free education and basic health service by nationalising teaching and treatment shops that sell over-priced services to gullible middle-class. The poor can’t afford it and the rich send their kids and sick to India or abroad.
Who is this scoop? The kind of theories he puts forward…seems like this is Prachanda himself.
Latest SMS: Prachanda’s wife is pregnant with twins. The first one is result of Royalists and the other one Girija babu!!!!!!
The maoists have forced (stopped) govt schools from collection of tution fees.
That may be ok from their point of view, but now who is going to pay for:
1) Staff Salary
2) Infrastructure Development
3) Electricity Bills
4) Telephone Bills
5) Library Books purchase
6) Chalk & Dusters
7) Water Bills
The Govt of Nepal does not pay for any of the above expenses. They only pay the Teachers salary.
A lot of schools are going to close down. This is their economic policy
Scoop: I am not even going to bother debating with you. It seems your head is so far up Prachanda’s chaak that you have lost all prespective.
hell_supreme: sorry bro, I wasn’t talking about that kind of spanking. Hope I didn’t get you too excited.
I agree with Kirat that the need is for regulation. A capitalist is an opportunitst and if Dhakal is in the wrong then he must be punished, but the govt must also get its house on order. The paradox in Nepal is nobody seems to have any moral authority to blame others.
I also agree with scoop that if it werent for Maoists, much of these corruption would perhaps never stop. Sure, how ethically these comrades conduct themselves in future will need to be seen, but dwelling on what we lost and what we could’ve saved as a result of Maoists war is like the story of who came out first – the chicken or the egg??
SPA & Monarchy were anyway selling the country to India. And in terms of killing – they have combined killed more than Maoists over the centuries directly and indirectly through ideology, marginalization and state sponsored oppression. Maoist movement has brought good changes to Nepal and baggage along with it. Guess its the same for all movements/phenomenon that some good things happen outside the control of its perpratators and some bad. It is the effect of invisible forces that often eclipse intended or anticipated objectives.
So Bhudai – just as much as I detest the Maoist methods, we will gain much if we remain open so our mind is free from judgement and we make the best choice for Nepal.
in whatever short amount of time we have.
हाम्लाइ हिन्दु धर्म मन पर्दैन, आफ़्नो धर्म को सन्सारमा सबै भन्दा आलोचना र घ्रिणा शायद नेपालि भन्दा अरु कसैले गर्दैन
“सेक्युलर नेपाल होइन, मुसलमान नेपाल”
आज को ४ प्रतिशत मुसलमान भोलि १६ हुन्छ, पर्सि ३२ हुन्छ र तेस्पछि तेस्को भोलि पल्ट ६४ त हुन्थ्यो तर क्रिस्चियन हरु त्यो भन्दा द्रुत गति मा नेपाल मा बढि रहेका ले आधा क्रिस्चियन को र आधा मुसलमान को देश चाहि पक्का हुन्छ; क्रिस्चियन र मुसल्मान को आधा आधि मा बाडी चुडी मिलेर बसे त राम्रै हुन्थ्यो, तर तेसरि मिलेर बसेको सन्सार मा कुनै उदाहरण नै नभयेर पो मारेको छ; मोरक्को देखि इज्राएल, लेबानन हुदै पाकिस्तान इण्डोनेशिया सम्म इ दुइ धर्म को लडाइ कहिले सम्म जारि हुने हो, जे होस, नेपाल सेक्युलर भये पछि हाम्रो देशमा पनि हिन्दु र बुद्ध धर्म को सन्हार शुरु भइ सकेको छ; त्यस्पछि हामि पनि इज्राएल हुने छौ
मुस्लिमद्वारा आरक्षण माग
कान्तिपुर संवाददाता
काठमाडौं, चैत २५ – ‘नया“ नेपाल निर्माणमा मुस्लिमहरूको सहभागिता’ को नाराका साथ आयोजित राष्ट्रिय मुस्लिम सम्मेलनले आइतबार नौ ब“ुदे घोषणापत्र जारी गरेको छ ।
जनसंख्याको आधारमा संविधानसभामा मुस्लिमलाई सिट छुट्याउनुपर्ने, सरकारी निकायमा आरक्षण दिनुपर्नेर्े, अल्पसंख्यक जातिको उत्थानका लागि मुस्लिम प्रतिनिधित्वसहित अल्पसंख्यक आयोग गठन गर्नुपर्नेर्े घोषणापत्रमा माग गरिएको छ । पछिल्लो जनगणनाअनुसार मुलुकमा मुस्लिमको जनसंख्या नौ लाख ५४ हजार -४ दशमलव २ प्रतिशत) छ ।
३४ जिल्लाका करिब एक हजार प्रतिनिधिको सहभागितामा भएको सम्मेलनलेे आधारभूत समस्याप्रति मुस्लिम समुदाय सचेत हुनुपर्ने, स्थायी हज कमिटी गठन गरिनुपर्ने, कानुनमा मुस्लिमको हैसियत परिभाषित हुनुपर्ने, मुस्लिम पर्वमा राष्ट्रिय बिदा दिनुपर्ने माग गरेको छ ।
राष्ट्रिय मुस्लिम मञ्च नेपालद्वारा आयोजित सम्मेलनको उद्घाटनमा दलका नेता, कानुनविद् तथा धार्मिक समुदायका प्रतिनिधिहरूलेे संविधानसभाको निर्वाचनमा जोड दि“दै अल्पसंख्यक समुदायका मागहरूको सम्बोधन हुनुपर्ने बताए ।
सभामुख सुवास नेम्वाङले सबैको हक अधिकार सुनिश्चित गर्न संविधानसभा निर्वाचन सफल बनाउनुपर्ने बताए । पर्ूवसभामुख दमननाथ ढुंगानाले उपेक्षित वर्गका मागहरू सुनुवाइ हुन सकेको छैन भन्दै राज्यले त्यसको जिम्मा लिनुपर्नेमा जोड दिए ।
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Nepal is being taken over by Muslims and Christians. They are competing to convert Nepali people, because we Nepali people do not know about their own culture.
Nepal is being taken over by Muslims and Christians. They are competing to convert Nepali people, because we Nepali people do not know about their own culture.
good to know that Bhudai,
i had a pretty good laugh……
Panditji, you are a lousy loser. It seems you haven’t outgrown the Bahunistic tradition of badmouthing intellectual opponents. Read some Buddhism to gain balance.
Lets not get too one-sided. Yes, businessmen can be greedy, but you do need them for a country to prosper. There is a difference between, say, Jyoti, who was at least investing in Nepal and someone like Baidya who merely made money by importing fancy cars.
I don’t care if businessmen get rich. If they can invest in Nepal, where’s the loss? Occassionally, they may even steal and swindle, but that’s a small price to pay for development.
Anyway, I’m happy that we are finally talking about economic issues. That’s the real issue guys. I am sick of Gyanendra vs Prachanda dialogues. Arguing as to which of these two is the greater idiot is the biggest waste of time.
It comes down to economics, or it should by now. Nepalis don’t give a hoot about Maoism or Royalism. They just want a more secure economic future.
Manan:
its not good enough to just talk about economic issues. I am sure you are aware that economics and politics are intertwined. We can sit around and argue about economics till we are blue in the face but without the proper political framework none of that is going to matter.
Scoop:
My my don’t we have the ego? An intellectual opponent you say. I see nothing intellectual in your posts.
If hope you weren’t planning on publishing your comments in academic journals. I have a sneeking suspicion that this sentence won’t qualify:
“If Maoists hadn’t emerged, these b…..ds would have sold the country itself to Indians just as Nepalese businessmen sold Sikkim.”
But like I said you are already a victim of Prachanda’s propoganda. The Maoists didn’t destroy infrastructure? The Maoists didn’t torture and displace hundreds of people? Is there really any point even have an intellectual conversation with someone with his head up Prachanda’s a*ss?
If you wish to have an intellectual debate stop regurgitating everything you read in some worthless human rights report and stop believing everything Prachanda says. Sure the RNA was responsible for human rights abuses but to say that they were on par with the Maoists in terms of the death and destruction is just insane.
By the way don’t bring up this Bhun to hide your own incompetancy. It’s a very easy way to get out of the situation but that doesn’t cut it anymore.
Yes, but we have blue faces because we’ve only been talking politics so far. I merely suggest that we change track a little. Politics is really meaningless without the economic questions.
We talked politics so much in the past that we neglected economics. Hence the Maoists.
Culture, society etc, are all important in shaping politics. But economics is the most basic component. As long as we don’t address the economic questions, all this political talk is just chatter.