Nepal Lawmakers Seek Parliamentary Inquiry Over Leaked Audio Linked to Inam Sapkota

Opposition legislators in Nepal are seeking a parliamentary hearing over a leaked recording attributed to detained intermediary Inam Sapkota, amid an expanding police investigation into his contacts with judges, politicians and security officials.

On November 4, members of the Nepali Communist Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party called on the House of Representatives' State Affairs and Good Governance Committee to examine how the purported statement became public and why journalists reporting on the affair were arrested and then released. The requests were reported independently by Setopati and OnlineKhabar.

The recording has circulated widely online. Its origin, completeness and authenticity have not been independently verified, and allegations in it are not findings of guilt.

Requests for oversight

Nepali Communist Party chief whip Yuvraj Dulal and Rastriya Prajatantra Party parliamentary leader Gyanendra Shahi submitted letters to committee chair Hari Dhakal. They sought answers about possible government involvement in police matters and the handling of phones and other evidence associated with the investigation.

The lawmakers also raised concerns about the treatment of journalists. Their requests call for a hearing and accountability from senior officials, but do not establish that any specific person committed a crime.

The parliamentary committee had not announced findings in the November 4 reporting. The central questions now include who recorded the audio, whether it was altered, who accessed investigative devices, and whether the police inquiry can proceed without political interference.

What is claimed in the recording

The speaker in the circulating audio describes alleged movements of tens of millions of Nepali rupees through personal accounts and purported efforts to resolve property disputes and cases in court. One portion attributes an allegation about NPR 180 million and a Nepali Congress leadership-recognition dispute to something the speaker says he heard from a former chief justice, not a negotiation he personally witnessed.

TFNOS has not authenticated the recording or independently verified those alleged transactions, their supposed beneficiaries or any improper connection to court decisions. A financial claim in disputed audio is not proof that a payment occurred.

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has rejected the allegation that he paid NPR 180 million to obtain recognition for his party leadership. In remarks reported by Nepal News on November 4, Thapa said he had not paid anyone, denied knowing Sapkota and said he had not spoken to former Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana about the matter.

Police inquiry and the evidence problem

The Kathmandu Post has reported that investigators examining Sapkota's phones found communications involving senior police, Armed Police Force officials, judges, politicians, lawyers and businesspeople. The broader investigation has included potential banking and money-laundering offences. The existence of contacts, by itself, does not demonstrate an illegal deal.

The leaked recording adds a separate evidentiary problem: investigators must establish its original source and complete chain of custody. Any allegation of judicial interference would also require corroboration through authenticated communications, bank and property records, and the underlying court files.

Until such evidence is made available and examined, the verifiable development is the lawmakers' request for scrutiny amid an ongoing investigation. The financial and political accusations remain contested and unproven.