May 19, Kathmandu - The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) of Nepal has filed charges against Deepak Thapa, a former marketing officer of DMC Travels Pvt. Ltd., in connection with a visit visa scam. The charges were brought after Thapa allegedly recanted his previous statement in court.

According to a press release issued by the OAG on Tuesday, Thapa, a resident of Phedikhola Rural Municipality-3 in Syangja, was initially summoned as a government witness in a corruption case involving bribery, money laundering, and assets concealment. However, following his court testimony, the OAG confirmed that Thapa provided a statement contrary to his earlier deposition, prompting the agency to refile charges against him.

Earlier, Thapa was granted full immunity and made a government witness in investigations involving other accused, including Tirthraj Bhattarai, for allegedly assisting in bribery and money laundering. But during a deposition on Baisakh 15, 2083, before the Special Court in Kathmandu, Thapa reportedly made statements inconsistent with his prior testimony and the charges filed against him.

Investigation revealed that Thapa was involved in arranging travel for people on visit visas, recording passenger names at airports, and managing hotel bookings and dollar exchange documents through his company. The OAG also states that Thapa aided Tirthraj Bhattarai, a known associate of Balakrishna Khadka, in facilitating bribe payments.

The OAG has filed a case against Thapa under the Anti-Corruption Act, 2059, seeking a penalty of NPR 3 million and 20 thousand. The agency’s spokesperson, Suresh Naupane, mentioned that the case includes demands for fines, imprisonment, and confiscation of illegal gains.