Spy service denies leak of sensitive information

KABUL) on Monday denied confidential information had been leaked to an imposter in southern Kandahar province, but an official at the governor’s house admitted a former senator visited the spy office.

Bismillah Afghanmal, a member of the upper house, told a press conference in Kandahar City on Saturday that a man, Mohammad Asif Sarhadi, posing as a senator, got away with sensitive information from key government offices.

However, the NDS headquarters Kabul said no person by the name of Asif Sarhadi had visited the intelligence office in Kandahar over the past three months. It said some foreign intelligence agencies active in the region wanted to defame the NDS by encouraging the circulation of such reports.

A statement from NDS claimed reports released by some media organisations were against the principles of journalism, because they did not carry the view of the officials concerned.

The Kandahar governor’s spokesman said Sarhadi, a former senator, visited the province in connection with the construction of a museum. Zalmai Ayubi said the governor had introduced him to the information and culture department.

The man returned without reaching an agreement with the department, the spokesman said, insisting government officials had not given him any sensitive information.

Afghanmal said Sarhadi, who introduced himself as a member of the Upper House’s defence commission and a resident of Ghor province, later travelled to Maroof and Dand districts, where he collected information from the NDS office, police headquarters and information department.

Since the upper house had no member by the name of Sarhadi, Afghanmal said, it was a matter of great concern that the imposter had been able to enter sensitive departments. He added the incident also showed inefficiency of the departments concerned.

mas/ma/mud