The Money Laundering Investigation Department has started investigating the movable and immovable properties in the names of three former prime ministers and two former ministers. The department has initiated an investigation into the properties of former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal and former ministers Arju Rana Deuba and Deepak Khadka on suspicion of amassing illegal wealth through misuse of public office. Deuba's son Jaybir Singh has also been included in the scope of the investigation.

The department has already written to the Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal Securities Board and the Company Registrar Office to collect and submit details regarding savings, investments, companies and transactions in the names of three former prime ministers, two former ministers and Jayabir and their relatives.  Similarly, a letter was sent to the Land Management and Records Department on Thursday to collect and submit details regarding land. Officials of the concerned bodies have informed that the details are being collected as per the letter. 

An official of the Land Management Department informed that the Land Revenue Offices of all 77 districts have been instructed to collect and send the details following the letter from the Money Laundering Investigation Department. Details of accounts opened in banks/financial institutions and the cash, jewellery and banking transactions in them have been requested from the Rastra Bank. 

The police have also been asked to submit a forensic examination report of burnt note pieces and ashes found by protesters at the houses of former prime ministers Deuba and Dahal and then minister Khadka on 24 Bhadra.

On Bhadra 24, protesters set fire to the houses of Congress President Deuba, UML Chairman Oli, Maoist Coordinator Dahal and other leaders. Videos and photos of burnt currency notes at Deuba and Khadka's residence in Budhanilkantha were made public.

Similarly, it has been claimed that money was also burnt at Dahal's residence in Khumaltar. The department had reached Deuba and Khadka's residence on Asoj 5 and Dahal's residence on Asoj 7 and prepared the bond papers. The department had sent the bond details to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police for forensic examination. The bureau is yet to submit its report to the department. 

During the investigation into money laundering, the assets, companies and transactions of relatives up to 3 generations in the family and in-laws are examined  . An official of the department said that after receiving the details requested from various agencies, the second phase of the investigation will be conducted and preparations are being made to take statements from the accused. ‘For the investigation of wealth laundering, the basic issues are transactions made through companies, banks/financial institutions, real estate, shares, lifestyle, etc., and these issues should be clarified at the beginning for the investigation,’ he said.

‘Then, we have to move forward by linking all the relatives who benefit from the person under investigation in a layered manner. For this, the work of collecting details from various bodies has been initiated,’ he said.

This is the first time that an investigation has been initiated against Deuba, Oli and Dahal, who have been in power and in power for a long time. Despite being repeatedly disputed in many cases including public procurement, various appointments, transfers/promotions, and embezzlement of national assets, they were never investigated.

The interim government formed after the Gen-G rebellion toppled the then government has initiated an investigation against them. The interim government has already returned the Money Laundering Investigation Department, which was brought under the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in 2074 when UML Chairman Oli was the Prime Minister, to the Ministry of Finance.

Former Prime Minister Deuba has been in a public office of benefit continuously since 2048. He won all parliamentary and Constituent Assembly elections since 2048 from Dadeldhura. He became the Home Minister in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government in 2048. He became Prime Minister five times in 2052, 2058, 2061, 2074 and 2078. Deuba's wife Arju Rana Deuba became a proportional representation MP from the Nepali Congress in 2064, 2070 and 2079. She was the Foreign Minister in the Oli-led government until the Gen-G uprising. Protesters also assaulted the Deuba couple at their residence on 24 Bhadra.

Another former Prime Minister and Maoist coordinator, Dahal, became active in parliamentary politics after the change of government in 2062/63. Since then, he has become Prime Minister three times. He has also been accused of embezzling the maintenance expenses provided by the government for Maoist fighters after joining the peace process. Dahal had been living in the house of controversial businessman Sharda Adhikari in Khumaltar, which was set on fire by protesters on Bhadra 24.  

Oli is also a leader who has always been at the center of power and authority. Oli, who was the Home Minister in the Manmohan Adhikari-led government formed in 2051, was the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led government formed after the political changes in 2062/63. He became Prime Minister four times, in 2072, 2074, 2077 and 2081.

Oli has been accused of supporting controversial businessmen and handing over government/public property at a pittance. He is accused of supporting the scheme to embezzle the Giribandhu T-Estate in Jhapa, which was given as a concession for industrial operations during the Panchayat period, amending the law, and getting a decision from the Council of Ministers.

When Congress leader Khadka was the Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, he was embroiled in a controversy over the issuance of licenses and contracts for hydropower projects. He was accused of cashing checks 'while sitting in the ministerial quarters and the ministry' to obtain licenses and contracts for water resource production. But no investigation could be carried out against him. He was also involved in the embezzlement of Nepal Scout's land in Lainchaur. Also known as a 'supporter' of powerful party leaders, his financial sources were not traced.

The main reason why Gen-G was so angry that he took to the streets was the lack of impartial investigation in many corruption cases and the protection of those with access. The main demand of the Gen-G movement was corruption control. Since the birth of Gen-G (since 2053 B.C.), there have been well-known cases of irregularities such as wide-body aircraft purchase, Sudan scam, militant camp irregularities, dishonesty in tax evasion, embezzlement of public land (Lalita Niwas, Patanjali land, Giribandhu T-Estate, Tikapur land, Lychee Garden land, Bal Mandir and Bansbari land), fake Bhutanese refugees, visit visas, etc. During the Corona period, there were incidents of embezzlement related to Omni scandal related to medicine/equipment purchase, irregularities in Nepal Trust land, gold smuggling case, cooperative fraud, security press purchase, Terramax, excise sticker printing, Melamchi project, etc. Leaders of political parties were involved in most of these cases.