Criminal case filed against Prabhu Bank CEO Suman Sharma, absconding after arrest warrant issued
A criminal case has been filed against Prabhu Bank's Chief Executive Officer Suman Sharma, and he has been absconding since an arrest warrant was issued. There is growing uncertainty and concern both inside and outside the bank regarding his activities.
Kathmandu — A criminal case has been filed against Prabhu Bank's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Suman Sharma. He has been absconding since an arrest warrant was issued. Only Raj Rimal and another employee at the bank, his wife in the family, and two officials at Nepal Rastra Bank know where he is and what he is doing.
Key information following the issuance of the arrest warrant against Sharma:
- Apart from his wife, he is not in contact with anyone else in his family.
- Only Senior Deputy CEO Raj Rimal and Rabindra Dhakal at the bank are aware of this matter.
- Until he fled Kathmandu, he did not formally inform the Bankers' Association. He left Kathmandu after having HR write a 'force leave' email.
- Having handed over the acting responsibility to Rimal, he is preparing to appear in court on Monday. His lawyers are with him.
- Although he planned to stay in Parsa, after news of his presence there spread widely, he changed his hiding place. In police terminology, this is called a 'shelter change'. His social media has also been shut down.
- According to police sources, his last location appears to be Kathmandu. However, it is not confirmed whether he went to Parsa, is still in Kathmandu, or crossed through Parsa into India. Police suspect all three possibilities.
- While preparing to appear in court on Monday, he has also initiated dialogue with the complainant creditors through his associates. However, the victims claim the discussion was personal.
- After surrendering in court on Monday, a detention hearing will take place. If bail is granted in the detention hearing, he will be released after paying bail. He has already instructed bank employees close to him to arrange a bank guarantee to pay the bail.
- If, however, his bail is not granted, he will go to prison for trial. If the hearing is not concluded, police will keep him in custody. However, he will be allowed to stay in a hospital claiming illness so that he does not have to share custody with thieves and robbers. He had already instructed a senior bank official to arrange this.
- He had fled Kathmandu with prior preparation. Although he told others he was on forced leave, he told his two colleagues, 'I will come back after sorting everything out.' He was under the illusion that no one would write about it until the 13th after the arrest warrant was issued on Ashwin 2, so the media would not find out. After it appeared in the media, concern has increased among his family, relatives, and bankers.
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Questions have been raised as to why the Bankers' Association has not spoken even as the CEO of Prabhu Bank has an arrest warrant issued against him and police are searching for him. But the Bankers' Association itself is confused on this matter. He has not formally informed the Association. Bankers are also learning the detailed sequence of events only by reading the news. Therefore, the Association is not in a position to speak on this matter immediately.
The view that he should no longer remain CEO of the bank is gaining strength. Although Janak Sharma Poudel has been proposed as CEO, he is a director at Standard Chartered Bank, so that possibility is not immediate. However, there is also an argument that someone could be given the acting responsibility for 6 months and then he could be brought back. Yet according to the law, the CEO position cannot be left vacant for more than 3 months. After Poudel did not work out, the name of Suman Pokharel has also become a topic of discussion. But Pokharel has neither been informed about this nor is there any possibility of him coming.
With a new CEO set to come to the bank, the matter of making Raj Rimal CEO based on seniority has also been raised. But since he has a 10-year gap in banking, the opinion that he should not be given that responsibility immediately has become strong. Meanwhile, Niraj Lamsal has also hinted that he is ready if made CEO. If Suman Sharma is removed, there is even talk of calling back Ramesh Shrestha, who was transferred after disciplinary action, to Kathmandu and giving him the responsibility of Deputy CEO. But it is understood that 3 senior officials and 2 directors of the bank have objected to this.
Nepal Rastra Bank appears to be trying to protect CEO Suman Sharma as much as possible. Nepal Rastra Bank seems to emphasize that cases should not be filed against CEOs from the police office in this manner. For this, Nepal Rastra Bank is preparing to initiate discussions with various agencies.