Prevention of Organized Crime Act, 2070

What does it do?

• The Act makes organised crime an offence, applying throughout Nepal and to people abroad who commit organised crime against Nepali citizens. A 'criminal group' is a group of three or more people, organised or not, in Nepal or abroad, set up to commit organised crime. A person commits organised crime by knowingly committing a serious offence (for example, one punishable by more than three years' imprisonment) for the benefit of, under the direction of, on behalf of, or as a member of such a group. The Act also covers preparing for organised crime, setting up a criminal group, obstructing justice, destructive acts, and extortion.यो ऐनले सङ्गठित अपराधलाई कसुर मानेको छ, र यो नेपालभर तथा नेपालबाहिर बसी नेपाली नागरिकविरुद्ध सङ्गठित अपराध गर्नेमा पनि लागू हुन्छ। सङ्गठित अपराध गर्ने उद्देश्यले नेपालभित्र वा बाहिर गठन भएको तीन वा तीनभन्दा बढी व्यक्तिको सङ्गठित वा असङ्गठित समूहलाई ‘आपराधिक समूह’ भनिन्छ। त्यस्तो समूहको लाभका लागि, निर्देशनमा, तर्फबाट वा सदस्य भई जानीजानी गम्भीर अपराध (जस्तै तीन वर्षभन्दा बढी कैद हुने कसुर) गरेमा सङ्गठित अपराध गरेको मानिन्छ। सङ्गठित अपराधको तयारी, आपराधिक समूह स्थापना, न्यायिक कारबाहीमा अवरोध, विध्वंसात्मक कार्य र आपराधिक लाभ (एक्सटर्सन) पनि कसुर हुन्। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 1(2), p. 1; Section 2(d), (g), p. 2; Sections 3–8, pp. 2–5
• Penalties are added on top of those in other laws: a serious offence committed as organised crime draws an extra 50% of the normal sentence (except where the sentence is already life imprisonment). Setting up a criminal group is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 50,000, and destructive acts causing death or committed in full carry life imprisonment. Offenders must compensate victims.अन्य कानूनमा तोकिएको सजायमाथि थप सजाय हुन्छ: सङ्गठित अपराधका रूपमा गम्भीर अपराध गरेमा प्रचलित कानूनबमोजिमको सजायमा थप ५० प्रतिशत सजाय हुन्छ (जन्मकैद वा सोभन्दा बढी सजाय हुनेमा बाहेक)। आपराधिक समूह स्थापना गरेमा पाँच वर्षसम्म कैद र पचास हजार रुपैयाँसम्म जरिबाना हुन्छ, र विध्वंसात्मक कार्यबाट ज्यान गएमा वा कसुर पूरा भएमा जन्मकैद हुन्छ। कसुरदारले पीडितलाई क्षतिपूर्ति तिर्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Section 9, pp. 5–7; Section 10, p. 7
• Investigators get special powers: the government may form special investigation teams after consulting the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police; investigators may use informants and special techniques such as controlled delivery; suspects may be held in custody for up to 60 days with the court's permission; and investigators may freeze property, bank accounts and passports. With permission from a designated senior official, communications may be recorded; a Review Committee chaired by the Home Secretary oversees this, and illegal recording is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment.अनुसन्धानकर्तालाई विशेष अधिकार दिइएको छ: महान्यायाधिवक्ता र प्रहरी महानिरीक्षकसँग परामर्श गरी सरकारले विशेष अनुसन्धान टोली गठन गर्न सक्छ; अनुसन्धान अधिकारीले सुराकी र नियन्त्रित ओसारपसारजस्ता विशेष अनुसन्धान पद्धति प्रयोग गर्न सक्छ; अदालतको अनुमति लिई अभियुक्तलाई बढीमा ६० दिनसम्म हिरासतमा राख्न सकिन्छ; र सम्पत्ति, बैंक खाता र राहदानी रोक्का गर्न सकिन्छ। तोकिएको अधिकारीको अनुमतिमा सञ्चार अभिलेख गर्न सकिन्छ, जसको निगरानी गृहसचिवको अध्यक्षतामा रहेको पुनरावलोकन समितिले गर्छ, र गैरकानूनी रूपमा सञ्चार अभिलेख गरेमा तीन वर्षसम्म कैद हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 11–17, pp. 7–9; Sections 23–29, pp. 12–16; Section 43, p. 20
• Organised crime cases are brought by the government and heard by the court the government designates to hear corruption and money-laundering cases. The court can hold the accused in custody during trial, hold closed hearings, and accept recordings in the voice of informants, accused or witnesses as evidence; informants and witnesses are protected, and disclosing their identity is punishable by up to five years' imprisonment.सङ्गठित अपराधको मुद्दा नेपाल सरकार वादी भई चल्छ र भ्रष्टाचार तथा सम्पत्ति शुद्धीकरणसम्बन्धी मुद्दा हेर्न सरकारले तोकेको अदालतले हेर्छ। अदालतले अभियुक्तलाई थुनामा राखी पुर्पक्ष गर्न, बन्द इजलासमा सुनुवाइ गर्न र सुराकी, अभियुक्त वा साक्षीको आफ्नै स्वरमा रेकर्ड गरिएको सामग्रीलाई प्रमाण मान्न सक्छ; सुराकी र साक्षीको संरक्षण गरिन्छ, र तिनको विवरण सार्वजनिक गरेमा पाँच वर्षसम्म कैद हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission, Government of Nepal Sections 39–42 and 44, pp. 19–20; Section 53, p. 23; Section 59, p. 25

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.

Where does it conflict with other laws?

No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.