Chandi Raj Dhakal

Chandi Raj Dhakal (File Photo)
The Revenue Investigation Department (RID) has issued arrest warrant against Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

According to Kantipur daily, RID has written a letter to the police to arrest Dhakal for not presenting himself for interrogations regarding case of revenue evasion through forged documentation. Dhakal’s Memento Apparels – the largest garment manufacturing company in the country – has come under the investigation for evasion of revenue amounting to Rs 8.6 million by forging bank guarantee documents.

“Arrest warrant has come. I have written concerned agency to arrest,” said Dhak Bahadur Karki, metropolitan police chief of Kathmandu.

The RID had asked Dhakal to come for interrogation a month ago but he declined to do so saying his health was unwell. He had been saying that he has not done anything wrong intentionally. He has said that his employees might have committed some mistake which he doesn’t know about.

Last week, the department once again called him for interrogation. Dhakal was then in informal talks with officials of Finance Ministry.

The RID has quasi-judicial authority of recording statements for investigations and imposing fines. The Memento has been asked to deposit fine of Rs 25.5 million.

On Monday, the RID had pasted another letter at Memento’s office in Baneshwore asking Dhakal to produce himself by 3 pm – failing which it issued arrest warrant. It has also issued similar warrant against another director of the garment company Tika Raj Dhakal.