Nepal Parliament committee orders probe of King’s assets

NEPAL: A Nepal parliamentary committee has ordered an investigation of assets owned by the king, who recently was stripped of many of his powers and his exemption from paying taxes, officials said Friday.

The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee asked the government to investigate and provide details of King Gyanendra’s property and investments within two weeks, said committee chairman Chitra Bahadur.

“Until the recent changes, no one was allowed to question or probe what the king owned, or his activities,” Chetri said. “It is the right of the people to know what the king owns, and about his investments.”

Since weeks of pro-democracy protests in April against Gyanendra’s dictatorial rule forced him to relinquish powers he seized last year, Parliament has stripped much of his authority and made it mandatory for him to pay taxes.

However, taxing him is a problem, because there are no records of how much he owns and where he has invested.

Gyanendra became king in 2001 after his elder brother Birendra was killed in a palace massacre. Before that, Gyanendra was a businessman who owned a luxury hotel, a cigarette factory and tea plantations. Last month, Parliament voted unanimously to strip the king of his command over the army, his legal immunity, and his freedom from paying taxes.

Earlier this month, lawmakers also voted to strip away his right of veto over the legislature.

Katmandu, Friday, AP