The Special Court on Tuesday acquitted ‘gangster’ Abhisek Giri of the money laundering charge. He is the fourth ‘don’ out of five to be acquitted by the court against whom the Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI) had filed separate cases on May 19, 2013.

A joint bench of Special Court Chairman Baburam Regmi and judges Chandiraj Dhakal and Narayan Prasad Pokharel found Giri ‘innocent’ on the money laundering charges.

Spokesperson for the Special Court Nagendra Pokharel said the court found Giri not guilty as “the prosecutor considered the value of the properties owned by Giri before the introduction of Money Laundering Prevention Act 2008 and non-existent cash during the investigation and filing of case as illegal income.”

All five ‘Dons’ have links with political parties. Giri is considered close to the main opposition Nepali Congress.

On August 20 last year, the court acquitted Rajeev Gurung aka Deepak Manage on the same charge. Another gangster Milan Gurung aka Chakre Milan walked free on January 24 this year. On April 8, the court exonerated another ‘Don’ Parshuram Basnet.

The Office of Attorney General may appeal to the Supreme Court within 50 days from the date the Special Court gives its full verdict. 

Judicial experts question whether income sources of the gangsters were examined properly.

Former chairman of the Special Court Gauri Bahadur Karki said the court’s verdict  gives the impression that the judiciary has been more lenient to such persons. 

“If they made their money through businesses, the source of investment to establish business enterprises should also be explored,” he said. 

In the charge sheet, the DoMLI mentioned that Giri had illegally amassed property worth Rs20.9 million. Likewise, Basnet had been charged with amassing property worth Rs110.1 million illegally. Manange and Chakre Milan had faced charge of amassing Rs140.7 million and Rs70.8 million respectively in illegal manner.

The court is yet to take a decision on Ganesh Lama, another Don, who has links with Nepali Congress. Lama faces the charge of illegally amassing property worth Rs270 million—the highest among the five dons.