Special Court Sentences Nagarjun Mayor Mohan Basnet to 8 Years and 3 Months in Prison

The Special Court has sentenced Nagarjun Municipality Mayor Mohan Basnet to 8 years and 3 months in jail on bribery and money laundering charges.

A joint bench of judges Tek Narayan Kunwar and Ram Bahadur Thapa handed down the sentence — 8 years for accepting bribes and an extra 3 months for committing the crime while holding a public office.

The court found that Basnet was involved in a bribery deal worth Rs. 92.2 million. Along with him, Raju Kandel, the operator of Padma Housing, has also been fined Rs. 23 million. Both Padma Housing and Padma Merchant will have to pay the same fine.

Basnet was also found guilty of money laundering involving Rs. 131.2 million, for which he received an additional 3-year prison term, which will be merged with the earlier 8-year sentence.

In total, the court has ordered him to pay Rs. 262.5 million in fines for money laundering, along with an additional Rs. 22.6 million.