Probe finds 450 ‘ghost personnel’ in Paktika police

SHARANA (Pajhwok): Local police officials on Saturday said hundreds of ‘ghost policemen’ existed in the provincial capital and two districts of southeastern Paktika province, endangering relevant areas.

Paktika police chief Brig. Gen. Rogh Liwanai told reporters here that they were investigating the presence of imaginary police personnel in Sharana, and Yousufkhel and Janikhel districts for the last 15 days.

During this period, he said, they found 450 policemen who were only available on papers and of them 200 men belonged to the national police and 250 to local police forces.

“The salaries of these ghost policemen are pocketed by some circles and commanders, I will introduce them to judiciary organs for interrogation,” he said.

Liwanai said a number of former police chiefs of the province had taken weapons and vehicles of the police headquarters home and they should return them. However, he did not name anyone.

On the other hand, an Afghan Local Police (ALP) member in Janikhel district, who wished to go unnamed, said: “I don’t perform duty and in return my half salary is taken by a commander.”

The ALP member did not provide details but said ghost police were the main reason behind the fall of police posts to militants.

Samar Gul Samar, a civil society activist in Sharana, told Pajhwok Afghan News that ghost policemen had created security problems in the province.

“If we identify ghost policemen and replace them with real and honest persons, it would help improve security,” he said.

He asked the police chief to continue his anti-corruption efforts and remove the distance between the government and people.

Thousands of security personnel who only exist on papers are believed to be regularly paid salaries across the country.

mds/ma