Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal Police has initiated an investigation into Additional Inspector General (AIG) Shyam Gyawali on charges of weakening the investigation into the cooperative fraud case against former Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane and not initiating investigation on gold smuggling.
Gyawali, who serves as the chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), is under scrutiny for allegedly attempting to influence investigations by misusing his police power and position.
AIG Tek Prasad Rai is leading a team investigating AIG Gyawali.
“The investigation has begun following accusations of influencing investigations, and misusing position and power,” Inspector General Basanata Bahadur Kunwar told the meeting of the Good Governance and Stat Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday. “Besides this, it has also been found that he has increased familiarity with individuals connected to various cases under investigation.”
Gyawali was appointed by Lamichhane as the chief of CIB replacing AIG Kiran Bajracharya. Bajracahrya was also accused of misusing her position in the gold smuggling investigation.
“AIG Gyawali was brought replacing AIG Bajracharya to speed up gold smuggling investigation. But he weakened the investigation against the Home Minister himself as well as gold smuggling,” a high-ranking police official said.
Gyawali is also accused of becoming overly familiar with individuals from business houses who are under investigation for other serious matters. He faces allegations of associating with those involved in seizing government land belonging to Bal Mandir under private names as well as those implicated in the Century Bank loan embezzlement case, and others who have been issued arrest warrants in various high-profile cases.
