Lalitpur District Court has ordered All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Treasurer Rabindra Joshi and Accounts Officer Sanjiv Pandey released on bail. It also ordered arrest warrants for ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang and General Secretary Kiran Rai in connection with alleged financial irregularities.
Joshi’s bail was set at Rs 1.5 million and Pandey’s at Rs 1.2 million. The same bench directed that warrants be issued for Nembang and Rai.
Court Information Officer Tikadhwaj Karki said District Judge Bhagawati Sharma Dhungana issued the orders.
Bail Ordered for Two ANFA Officials
Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau arrested Joshi and Pandey on September 18 during an investigation into alleged financial irregularities and match related matters at ANFA.
The two officials are to be released on bail, but legal proceedings against them will continue. The bail order does not establish whether they are guilty or innocent.
Warrants Ordered for ANFA President and General Secretary
The court ordered warrants for Nembang and Rai after the District Government Attorney’s Office in Lalitpur filed a case against all four officials on Thursday. The two senior officials were reportedly unreachable after the investigation began. The warrants are intended to secure their appearance before the authorities as the case moves forward.
CIB Investigation Examines Alleged Financial Irregularities
The case stems from a CIB investigation into alleged financial irregularities exceeding Rs 6.65 million.
The bureau examined ANFA’s finances, procurement processes, sponsorship deals, ticket sales, decisions concerning football competitions, and matters related to the issue of Nepal’s 2024 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Bahrain. After reviewing the available evidence and documents, the CIB recommended prosecuting all four officials. The government attorney’s office subsequently filed the case at Lalitpur District Court.
The allegations have not been established by a final court judgment. The proceedings will determine the legal responsibility, if any, of the officials named in the case.
The court’s latest orders mark a major development in the investigation into the governance and finances of Nepal’s football governing body.