KATHMANDU, AUGUST 10
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority today filed a chargesheet against a person after he was found to have submitted fake academic certificates to join government service.
According to the anti-graft body, Rambabu Yadav, a sub-engineer in the Water Supply and Sanitation Division, Okhaldhunga, had acquired fake academic credentials, which showed he had passed Diploma in Civil Engineering from Shree Sunsari Technical College, to join the government office in 2018.
His academic certificates were found to be fake during investigation.
Joint Secretary Shyam Prasad Bhandari, CIAA spokesperson, said the chargesheet was filed against him, seeking maximum punishment under sub-section (1) of section 16 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002, which criminalises submission of fake certificates with the intention of securing government job.
If found guilty, Yadav will be liable to a jail term of up to one year and a fine not exceeding Rs 25,000 besides dismissal from service.
According to the CIAA, the anti-graft body has warned 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 continues unabated despite the formulation of strict law.
The CIAA said 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 in civil service are also among persons joining government service and enjoying promotion and other facilities by submitting fake documents.
Earlier, the anti-graft body had urged the authorities concerned to verify the authenticity of academic credentials submitted for appointment and promotion. The CIAA warned that appointing, promoting and providing facilities to any person on the basis of bogus or forged certificate of academic qualification and other documents had badly affected performance and service delivery in the offices.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 11, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
