Governor accused of fund embezzlement

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Lawmakers from central Logar province on Wednesday accused Governor Niaz Mohammad Amiri of embezzling 5 million afghanis allocated for assistance to families from Azra district.

But Amiri said he had kept the amount unspent. Some nine months back, the government set aside 5 million afs in cash and 300 tonnes of wheat for those hit by a draught-like situation after rebels kept the supply route closed for months.

A number of parliamentarians said the assistance was earmarked during the tenure of former governor Arsala Jamal, who had distributed the wheat to the needy families but the cash is still being kept by the sitting governor.

Haji Mohammad Akbar Stanikzai, a Wolesi Jirga member, told Pajhwok Afghan News the amount had been withdrawn from the bank but was not disbursed. The amount, he said, had been withdrawn by the governor in seven instalments.

“I have documentary proofs of the 5 millions afghanis deposited in the accounts of Abdul Shakoor and Ghulam Rassoul. The amount has now been withdrawn in seven instalments by the two close aides to the governor,” he claimed.

A senator from the province also blamed the governor for misusing the cash allocated for Azra district families.

For his part, Amiri acknowledged withdrawing the money from the bank but said the amount remained unspent. However, he did not explain why it was not paid to the affected families

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