Tainted Uruzgan officials yet to be suspended

TARINKOT (Pajhwok): Six graft-tainted officials continue to perform their duty and have been refusing to appear before the court in central Uruzgan province, the provincial attorney said on Wednesday.

Fazl Sultan Safi told Pajhwok Afghan News cases of the six tainted officials and a contractor had been sent to the urban court a month back, but their fate remained unknown.

He said the six officials had been accused of corruption and bribery and dossiers detailing their crimes had been handed over to the court.

The accused include two education department officials, the rural development department head and an official of that department, a former mayor of the Dehrawud district and a contractor.

Safi said the accused moved freely and continued to hold their offices and were yet to be suspended.

The urban court confirmed receiving dossiers of the six accused. But judge Fazl Rabi told Pajhwok Afghan News the six men were yet to appear before the jury.

“We have asked several times the accused to appear before the court, hire defence lawyers and explain the allegations against them, but they are not turning up. “

The judge said they could not use force to drag them to the court because they continued to perform their job.

He said if the accused were arrested by security forces, they would be easily produced before the court.

The accused persons also confirmed they continued their jobs, but said they had appeared before the court.

Education Director Ihsanullah Nashir said he and other officials of his department had appeared before the court and they were not hiding.

He said they had appeared before the court many times since the accusations were leveled against them and had defended their cases through defence lawyers.

Rural Development Director Eng. Mohammad Hashim also said he and other tainted officials of his department had appeared before the court and had defended the charges against them.

He rejected the urban court’s chief claim that they were not appearing and said they were ready to appear whenever called.

But their assertions were rejected by judge Rabi, who said the accused officials had not hired defence lawyers or appeared before the court.

On the other hand, the governor’s spokesman said the accused officials could continue to perform their duty until their fate was decided by the court.

Dost Mohammad Nayab told Pajhwok Afghan News the provincial government did not want to interfere in the court’s affairs. “If the court sends us a letter, a decision will be made on official posts of the accused.”

A member of the provincial council, Abdullah Haqbin, said the accused officials should resign from their posts until the court decided their cases.

He said if the accused officials were refusing to resign, the chief executive authority should suspend them and produce them before the court.

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