CIAA says use of fake credentials for govt jobs on the rise

Kathmandu, February 22

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has said that the tendency of submitting fake academic credentials, teaching licence and citizenship certificate for the purpose of joining government service, getting promotion and receiving government facilities is on the rise.

“Appointing, promoting and providing facilities to any person on the basis of bogus or forged certificate of academic qualification and other documents badly affects the performance and service delivery of an office. It is also detrimental to the morale of qualified and capable employees,” the anti-graft body warned in its annual report of fiscal 2017-18.

It said that the CIAA had attached high priority to the investigation of suspicious academic credentials of government employees. According to the CIAA, it filed graft charge against 64 government employees, including security personnel, at the Special Court in fiscal 2017-18 compared to 40 in previous fiscal. An investigation of the anti-graft body shows the highest cases of fake academic certificates involved schoolteachers and police personnel.

Similarly, health workers, technical employees, administrative employees of local levels and other employees are also among the persons joining government service and enjoying promotion and other facilities by submitting fake documents. The CIAA has urged the government and the authorities concerned to verify the authenticity of academic credentials of candidates applying for the job. “It will have a positive impact on the qualification system and performance of the concerned offices,” the anti-graft body said.

Of 64 employees facing graft charges for joining the service or enjoying promotion in 2017-18, as many as 34 defendants are teachers/employees of schools, 14 police personnel, six technical and health employees, four local level employees and six from other sectors.

It also said the concerned authorities had implemented only a few recommendations given by the CIAA last year. “Making commitment to implement the recommendation in haste without adequate preparation, lack of coordination among government bodies, lack of reward and punishment, delay in implementation of suggestion, lack of effective regulation and strategic plan in the fight against corruption are stumbling block to honesty, integrity and good moral conduct in government offices,” it warned.