SC resumes hearing on suspended governor's case

The special court (SC) on Friday has resumed the hearing on the case of suspended Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) governor Bijyanath Bhattarai.

According to a source, the suspended Bhattarai was presented before the SC at 10:30 by the police. 

As hearing into the corruption charges against him remained incomplete Thursday evening, SC had ordered the police to take him in judicial custody.

The suspended Bhattarai’s lawyers on Friday will defend the charges against Bhattrai filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on last Friday.

Bhattarai and executive director of the NRB’s Bank Financial Institutions Regulation Department Surendra Man Pradhan were charged by the CIAA for serious financial crimes of embezzling Rs 195.319 million that Nepal had received in foreign aid for financial sector reforms.

Both Bhattarai and Pradhan were automatically suspended from their posts after the CIAA filed the case.

The suspended Pradhan was freed by the SC on bail of Rs. 50,000 on Monday. The same day Bhattarai was ordered to appear before the court with in 15 days to register his statement.

Following the order by the SC, Bhattarai appeared before the SC on Thursday.

If the hearing concludes on Friday, the court will decide on whether to continue Bhattarai's detention or release him on bail.