Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: CPN (Maoist Center) leader and former Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara has been sent to prison pending trial in a gold smuggling case.
The Kathmandu District Court issued the order following a remand hearing on Wednesday. The district court order means Mahara will remain in detention until the final verdict is delivered.
A case was filed against him in connection with the gold smuggling incident of December 2022 in which Chinese national Li Hansong was found to have smuggled gold concealed inside vapes.
Mahara has denied any involvement or investment in the smuggling case. However, government prosecutors have charged him under the Organized Crime Prevention Act and the Customs Act, seeking to recover Rs 85.53 million in damages.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police arrested Mahara on Sunday. He has been accused of using his influence to exert pressure on customs officials at Tribhuvan International Airport to release the smuggled gold.
