KATHMANDU, JULY 22
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority said a total of eight chargesheets related to fake credentials were filed at the Special Court against government employees in the fiscal 2022-23.
The anti-graft body had filed six chargesheets the previous fiscal.
According to a brief report recently released by the CIAA, the chargeseets were filed after they were allegedly found to have submitted fake academic certificates to join government service. Upon completion of wide-ranging investigation and inquiry, the anti-graft body filed the chargsheets, 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, they will be liable to a jail term of up to one year and fine not exceeding Rs 25,000 besides dismissal from service.
The CIAA has repeatedlywarned that the tendency to submit fake academic credentials, teaching licence and citizenship certificate for the purpose of joining government service, getting promotion and receiving government facilities, continues unabated despite strict law.
The CIAA said the highest cases of fake academic certificates involved schoolteachers and police personnel. Similarly, health workers, technical employees such as engineers and sub-engineers, administrative employees of the local levels and other employees engaged 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 said 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 public offices.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 23, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
