Sunday 13 January 2013

Torture Charges: Nepalese Colonel In Custody

Colonel Kumar Lama

A serving Colonel in the Nepalese army has appeared in custody at a London court, accused of torturing two detained men at his home barracks over seven years ago.
Kumar Lama, 46, of St. Peter's Road, St. Leonards's-on-Sea, East Sussex allegedly committed the offences at the Gorusinghe Army Barracks, Kapilvastu, Nepal.
His home country has been embroiled in a decade-long Maoist insurgency and the charges relate to two detainees captured by the military.
He is charged that as a public official, or a person acting in an official capacity, he intentionally inflicted pain or suffering on Janak Bahadur Raut and Karam Hussain in the performance or purported performance of his official duties between April 15 and May 1, 2005.
Lama is currently serving as a United Nations peacekeeper in South Sudan and has previously served in a similar capacity in Sierra Leone and twice in the Lebanon.
His wife is a nurse and they have two children, a 21 year-old university student and a 17 year-old studying A-levels.
Lama was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on January 24.

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