Former Nepal ministers jailed in fake Bhutanese refugee scam

Kathmandu (TIP): A court in Nepal has sentenced two former cabinet ministers and 14 others to prison after convicting them in one of the country’s biggest political corruption scandals, involving the creation of forged documents that falsely identified Nepali citizens as Bhutanese refugees to facilitate their resettlement in the United States.
The Kathmandu District Court delivered the verdict after finding the accused guilty of participating in a fraudulent network that fabricated official documents and manipulated refugee records. According to court records and lawyers involved in the case, the scheme enabled ineligible Nepali nationals to pose as displaced Bhutanese refugees in hopes of securing entry to the United States under international refugee resettlement programmes.
The case has shaken Nepal’s political establishment, as it implicated several high-profile figures, including former ministers and senior government officials, exposing alleged abuse of public office and weaknesses in the country’s administrative system.
Investigators said the accused collaborated to prepare fake identity papers, refugee registration documents and official recommendations to falsely establish applicants as members of the Bhutanese refugee community.d