KATHMANDU: Just six days after Sharad Ojha’s appointment as the chair of the Nepal Insurance Authority, former chair Surya Prasad Silwal has been cleared of corruption charges by the Special Court.
The bench of judges Tej Narayan Singh Rai, Ram Bahadur Thapa, and Murari Babu Shrestha ruled on Sunday that the allegations against Silwal could not be substantiated.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had accused Silwal of submitting false documents regarding his educational qualifications and citizenship details, alleging corruption. The case centered on discrepancies in his birthdate on his academic certificates and citizenship documents.
CIAA had claimed that Silwal reduced his age by three years to extend his tenure and should have retired in July 2023. It also alleged that he had manipulated his passport details. However, the Special Court dismissed all these charges.
Silwal was appointed as Insurance Board chair in early 2021 for a four-year term but was suspended due to the corruption charges. With his tenure now over, legal experts believe he won’t return to the position despite the acquittal.
Meanwhile, Sharad Ojha, a journalist with ties to the Nepali Congress, was recently appointed to the post after being recommended alongside former Secretary Ram Saran Pudasaini and former Health Insurance Board Chair Damodar Basoula.
CIAA still has the option to challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, though Silwal’s term has already expired.
Comment