Govt forms inquiry commission to study gold smuggling

KATHMANDU: The government has formed an inquiry commission under former high court Judge Dilli Raj Acharya to investigate different cases of gold smuggling.

The cabinet meeting held on Sunday decided to form the commission as per the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1969, according to Minister for Communication and Information Technology Rekha Sharma.

Joint secretaries Kishor Jung Karki and Prem Raj Joshi, and former AIG of Nepal Police Sahakul Thapa are the members of the inquiry commission.

The main opposition CPN-UML obstructed parliamentary proceedings for many days last month accusing the involvement of ruling party leaders in the smuggling after the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) seized a consignment of gold smuggled into the country as motorcycle parts through the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

UML agreed to resume house proceedings only after the government agreed to form the inquiry commission.