A Nepali inquiry panel recommends prosecuting ex-PM K.P. Sharma Oli for negligence over deadly crackdowns on Gen Z anti-corruption protests last September.
KATHMANDU: A state-appointed panel has recommended criminal prosecution against former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli for “negligence” over a deadly crackdown on protests last year.
The 970-page report, released late on Wednesday, holds the 74-year-old former leader responsible for failing to prevent security forces from firing on demonstrators.
It states that at least 19 Gen Z protesters were killed on the first day of anti-corruption demonstrations that ultimately forced Oli to resign.
“As the executive head … Oli should be held responsible for anything good or bad,” the Nepali-language report concluded.
The inquiry found that a total of 76 people were killed and 2,522 wounded during two days of unrest in September.
The panel also named Oli’s then-home minister Ramesh Lekhak and former police chief Chandra Kuber Khapung as responsible, recommending they too face prosecution.
None of the three officials could be immediately reached for comment by Reuters.
If formally charged and found guilty, they could each face jail terms of up to 10 years.
Senior lawyer Dinesh Tripathi clarified that the panel’s findings do not constitute formal charges.
“It is not a charge sheet and they cannot be jailed on the basis of this report,” Tripathi said.
He explained that a separate criminal police investigation must now occur before any case can be filed in court, a process likely taking months.
The report’s release comes just two days before rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah is sworn in as the new prime minister.
Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party won a landslide parliamentary election victory following the protest movement.
Analysts say the decision on whether to act on the panel’s recommendations now rests with the 35-year-old incoming premier and his government.
The inquiry also recommended action against dozens of other officials and security personnel involved in the crackdown.
Families of the victims have been demanding punishment for those responsible for the violence.
