District police chief convicted on bribery charges

ASADABAD (PAN): A district police chief in eastern Kunar province was sentence to two-and-half years in jail on bribery charges, officials said on Wednesday.

Abdul Zahir, the Sawakai district police head, had sought 130,000 afghanis from an Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander, Najib, in return for uniforms and weapons.

Military Prosecutor Matiullah said the police officer was caught red-handed while receiving the bribe from the ALP commander. The court sentenced him under Article 258 of criminal law.

But Asmatullah, defence lawyer for the convict, rejected the prosecutor’s remarks and called the sentence a conspiracy by former police chief of the district, Mohammad Afzal, to defame his client.

Deposing before Judge Mohibullah, Najib said Zahir had received 50,000afs from him. Subsequently, the judge awarded the police officer a jail sentence of two years and a half.

But Zahir said the verdict was unacceptable to him and that he would challenge it in the court of appeals. He was also ordered to return the backhander.

myn/mud

Visits: 3