The Special Court has acquitted former chairman of Nepal Insurance Authority, Surya Prasad Silwal, on charges of submitting false certificate filed by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). The anti-graft body had accused Silwal in November last year of obtaining official benefits by submitting false information. He was suspended following the case's registration.
On Sunday, a bench comprising judges Tej Narayan Singh, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Murari Babu Shrestha cleared Silwal of all charges. Despite the acquittal, he will not be reinstated, as his term ended last month.
The CIAA had alleged that Silwal manipulated his date of birth to extend his tenure beyond the retirement age of 65. According to the commission, he should have retired on July 31, 2023. The anti-graft body accused that Silwal, who initially joined the civil service with a birthdate of July 30, 1958, had later submitted a certificate listing his birthdate as November 8, 1959, to qualify for the chairman’s position after retiring from civil service.
The CIAA sought punishment for Silwal on charges of submitting false information. As a special-category government official, the authority also demanded an additional three-year prison sentence and the recovery of Rs 3.662 million, which he had drawn in salary and benefits since July 31, 2023. However, the Special Court dismissed the case and acquitted him.
