ANFA President Nemwang and General Secretary Rai Released on Bail

Kathmandu. The Lalitpur District Court has ordered the release of All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Pankaj Bikram Nemwang and General Secretary Kiran Rai on bail. A single bench of District Judge Harisingh Dhami on Wednesday ordered the release of President Nemwang and General Secretary Rai on a bail of five lakh rupees each. The Office of the Government Attorney had demanded a total of 9.3 million rupees in principal amount and compensation from the defendants. In the charge sheet filed by the District Government Attorney's Office, Lalitpur, at the District Court, Lalitpur, on October 22, President Nemwang, General Secretary Rai, Treasurer Rabindra Joshi, and Accounts Officer Sanjeev Pandey were named as defendants. Both of them appeared in court for statements on Wednesday. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police had filed a case in the Lalitpur District Court after investigating them, along with Treasurer Rabindra Joshi and Accounts Officer Sanjeev Pandey. All four are accused of match-fixing and irregularities under the National Sports Development Act, 2077, and fraud under the Muluki Criminal Code, 2074. Among the four, Treasurer Joshi and Accounts Officer Pandey have already been released on bail of 15 lakh and 12 lakh rupees respectively. However, the president and general secretary had been absconding since the case was filed. After appearing in court and giving their statements today, a hearing was held. The match, which was supposed to be held on March 21, 2024, at Nepal's home ground (Dasarath Stadium) as part of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, was moved to Bahrain. It is claimed that the stadium ground was made unsuitable by allowing non-international programs to be operated without preserving it, and then a deal was made with Bahrain to play the 'home match' there. Similarly, it was alleged that the 20,000 US dollars (approximately 26.47 lakh rupees) that Bahrain was supposed to provide to ANFA for ticket sales was embezzled without being deposited into ANFA's official bank account. Nepal lost that match by 5-0 and 3-0 goals. It was found that goods were purchased through quotations in collusion without calling for open tenders for purchases above 10 lakh rupees, contrary to ANFA's financial procedures. It is claimed that the organization was harmed by purchasing sports materials worth 50,000 US dollars, or 66.539 lakh rupees, under AFC's 'Extra Time Project' from three companies with the same ownership, showing competition and at rates higher than the approved estimated cost.