Morang District Court has completed recording statements of all 30 suspects involved in the 33 kg gold smuggling case and the murder of an alleged gold runner.

The District Court Registrar Nawaraj Dulal, said the formal trial will begin from Thursday as the District Court remained closed during ‘Law Day’ on Wednesday.

The lawyers involved in recording the statements of the suspects said that the high-level police officials refuted the charges levelled against them. Even the employees of the Tribhuvan International Airport informed the court that they had only performed their duties in the airport, a court official said. The court officials said 44 legal practitioners have registered their names in the court to plea in the hearing.

The 33kg gold smuggled through the Tribhuvan International Airport had mysteriously disappeared from Kathmandu. The smuggling case drew much public attention following the murder of Shakya, a resident of Urlabari in Morang, on March 2. Police have arrested 30 of the 63 accused so far.

The District Attorney’s Office (DAO), Morang, filed a charge sheet against 63 people in connection to the gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of Shakya.The DAO has recommended recovery of Rs 17 billion and an additional fine of Rs 18 million from the accused on the charges of organised crime, hostage-taking and murder.