KABUL - Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak on Saturday asked police to treat suspected criminals in custody in line with their legal authority.
Barmak, who attended a ceremony at the Kabul Police Academy here for unveiling a new curriculum of the academy, won the vote of confidence from the Wolesi Jirga two weeks back.
The teaching curriculum earlier had sixteen subjects; but the subjects have now been reduced to 12 after a thorough review.
Barmak said: “In our area, there is a club named ‘Kabul Club’ and people complained against it saying every night wine is consumed and bullets are fired inside it. Finally, police arrested 12 individuals from the club after hearing gun shots.”
“Later, prosecutors interrogated the policemen who had arrested the individuals,” said Barmak without going into details.
He criticized the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) act and said: “Police are meant to intervene in every kind of crime or a suspected act which is considered a crime and disrupts the civil order.”
“I saw a video in which a public representative and a strongman used abusive language with a police district chief and insulted and humiliated him a few days back. These two individuals then threatened the police chief, who finally ‘cut a deal’ with them,” added Barmak, without going into details.
“The law is still not enforced in our country in line with the Constitution. There are no same rules for different kinds of people.”
Barmak said his priority would be to turn police into public servants and make them treat people professionally and also enable them to use their legal authorities against criminals.
Mohammad Ismail Sahak, deputy head for the Kabul Police Academy, also spoke on the occasion, complaining against interferences in hiring of teachers at the institution. He asked the MoI leadership to prevent such meddling.
He also asked the Interior Minister to pay heed to establishing laboratories, training fields and research centres at the police facility.
The Minister of Interior promised steps at meeting the academy needs and curbing any kind of meddling in the ministry’s affairs.  (Pajhwok)