ACCI urged to cooperate with probe panel

KABUL): The joint anti-corruption Monitoring & Evaluation Committee (MEC) on Monday hailed President Hamid Karzai’s decision on appointing a high-level body to investigate the resignation of senior economic experts.

On July 16, the Council of Ministers referred the resignations by seven members of the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) to the Attorney General Office (AGO) for a thoroughgoing investigation.

While announcing their resignations, the experts branded their chief as incompetent and said: “The first step in the fight against corruption has been initiated at AISA.”

They urged the president to look into the agency affairs to prevent fund embezzlement, and accused AISA head Wafiullah Mukhtar of knowing little about how to lure investments and making appointments in disregard of merit.

The experts include Baryalai Malyar, Omar Joya, Dr. Roohullah Ahmadzai, Ghulam Rabbani Mansoor, Suleiman Akbari, Mir Taufiq Ansari and Abdul Ghafar Rasin.

The MEC stressed a fair and transparent investigation, saying it was necessary that the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) cooperate with the investigation commission.

A statement from the committee said: “The private sector has an obvious role in the development of Afghanistan and is thus interested in finding out the truth of the allegations from both sides.”

It added the findings of the commission be published within four working days after it submitted its report to the president.

pr/mud

Visits: 0