Kathmandu, December 24. Between December 15 and December 20, the Nepali Embassy in the United States hosted a five-day consular service camp in three cities of Texas. The embassy had received government revenue of roughly $200,000 (equivalent to 2 crores 65 lakh Nepali rupees) in cashier’s checks and money orders.

Briefcase stolen

Two days after the camp, on December 22, Embassy staff Uttam Ghimire, Radheshyam Dubey, and a local staff packed the revenue inside a briefcase and took a car to Washington. The car was broken into and the briefcase was stolen while they were eating lunch at a roadside restaurant.

Appeal for help

Shortly after, the embassy reported the incident to Houston Police Department and Diplomatic Security Division Houston. The embassy also issued a notice requesting the consular service recipients to immediately cancel the previous money order and cashier’s check and make new ones for “Consular Services Camps – Texas”.

The embassy further requested that in the event that the cashier’s check or money order “if discovered to have been cashed out or deposited”, the service beneficiaries are requested to find out where it was done so and notify the embassy. This will make it easier to find the person who stole the revenue.

Criticized for Negligence

The embassy is receiving harsh criticism in the meantime for its carelessness in handling the funds that were received from hardworking students and employees.

Firstly, the staff members who were eating lunch inside the restaurant, must not leave the money-loaded briefcase in the car parked outside.

Second, the embassy must not have decided to drive the revenue in a car. It must have chosen flight or any other secure mode of transportation. Also, the car did not belong to the embassy. It belonged to a local resident Gyaneswor Shrestha.

अमेरिकाको टेक्सासमा लुटियो नेपाली दूतावासको पैसा, लापरवाही कसकाे?