Wednesday, August 02, 2006

CoAS Thapa to attend the probe panel on Thursday

The defense ministry on Tuesday informed the High Level Probe Commission (HLPC) in writing that army chief Pyar Jung Thapa would respect the HLPC's summons this time and be available to the commission for interrogation scheduled for Thursday.
The commitment of the defense ministry came after widespread criticism of the Nepal Army for not respecting summon of the HLPC, after the Chief of Army Staff did not appear at the HLPC to file statement on Sunday.
The commission plans to interrogate Thapa over his alleged role in atrocities that took place during the April movement as he was the Chief of the Unified Command, but Thapa went Pokhara on Sunday rather than presenting himself before the HLPC saying the Pokhara visit was pre-planned.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has defended the move of Chief of Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa to defer his summon at the HLPC on Sunday.
During the party's Central Working Committee meeting on Tuesday, Koirala informed party members that he had assigned the army chief for the Pokhara trip before the Commission summoned him.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Bishnu Dutt Upreti said that there was no intention on the part of the army chief to defy the Commission's summons.
"The ministry had given prior permission to Thapa to go to Pokhara," he added, while returning from Koirala’s residence after meeting him on Tuesday.

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