Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Parliament to Revise Decision Over Embezzlement-Accused Minister

Parliament to Revise  Decision Over  Embezzlement-Accused  Minister

KABUL - Afghanistan's Parliament said it will revise its decision to appoint a minister if the accusation of the country's anti-corruption watchdog - that one of the recently appointed minister's is corrupt - proves true.

Head of Afghanistan's High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption Azizullah Ludin was summoned by the Upper House on Tuesday to respond to charges of corruption in the Customs office.

Ludin said that one of the nine recently-nominated Ministers had been accused of $70m embezzlement, but despite his efforts, all the nominees won the vote of confidence from Parliament.

"I informed the commission within the parliament, but all of them won vote of confidence," he said.

Ludin declined to say the name of the Minister who was accused.

Parliamentary members reacted to his comment and asked for clarification on the issue.

Speaker of the lower house Abdul Raouf Ibrahimi said that the documents of the ministers had not presented with any problems in the past, but if there was evidence of the corruption watchdog's accusations, the decision should be revised.

In a separate incident, Afghanistan's Attorney General has detained several officials from Hairatan's Border Services Department who were accused of corruption and bribery.

The exact number of arrestees was not officially announced, but a source who spoke on condition of anonymity told Tolonews that 14 border officials including the head of the Department, an National Directorate of Security representative, a Mostofiat representative, a cashier and head of Human Resources Section were among those arrested by the Attorney General's office.

The High Office of Oversight and Anti Corruption has previously said that more than 3 billion Afghanis were being embezzled through the port.

Hairatan is one of the major transit routes between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan through Balkh Province. (Tolo News)