Kathmandu, June 22 -- UML vice-chair and former finance minister Bishnu Paudel was arrested on Monday in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation. The Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DMLI), which has been investigating Paudel, issued an arrest warrant, following which police in Surkhet district in western Nepal took him into custody.

An official involved in the investigation told Kantipur that Paudel was taken into custody for further questioning after being linked to a case involving controversial businessman Deepak Bhatta.

"He was arrested after a businessman involved in Bhatta's transactions provided a statement implicating Paudel," the official said. "The former finance minister is alleged to have pres...