KATHMANDU, April 2 -- Amid accusations of misappropriating cooperative funds against Home Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane, another high-ranking member of the same party, Vice-Chairman Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal, is now entangled in a cooperative fraud scandal.

During Aryal's tenure as vice-chairman of the 'Hamro Naya Agricultural Co-Operative,' depositors were unable to retrieve more than Rs 40 million. Last January, the government declared Hamro Naya Agricultural Co-Operative as problematic after it failed to return the depositors' funds. Notably, Aryal and RSP's Joint General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti served as directors of the cooperative, with Surya Gurung acting as the chairman during Aryal's vice-...