Nepal’s former finance minister arrested for money laundering, police say

Nepal's former finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel was arrested on money laundering charges, marking a crackdown by the Gen Z-backed government on alleged corruption under previous administrations.

Nepal's former ​finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel ​was arrested late ‌on Monday ​on charges of money laundering, police said, as the country's Gen Z-backed government steps up ‌a crackdown on alleged corruption under previous administrations.

Paudel, 66, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and a key figure ‌in the former K.P. Sharma Oli government, was detained from a ‌hotel in western Nepal, police said. Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said Paudel was being brought to Kathmandu and would be handed over to the ⁠Department of ​Money Laundering Investigation.

His ⁠arrest comes months after Oli's government was toppled following deadly anti-graft protests in ⁠which at least 76 people were killed and more than 2,500 injured, ​with several government buildings, including parliament, set ablaze. Oli and his home ⁠minister were arrested for failing to prevent the violence. Both are now out ⁠on ​bail.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah, a 36-year-old rapper-turned-politician who took office in March after a landslide mandate promising to tackle corruption, ⁠has pledged action against past abuses. Paudel could not be reached for comment. ⁠A UML ⁠official said senior party leaders would meet on Tuesday to discuss the development.

Paudel has held multiple ministerial posts ‌across ‌successive governments.