3 senators’ arrest on bribery charge confirmed

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Attorney General Office (AGO) and the National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Monday formally confirmed the arrest of three senators on bribery charges.

In a joint statement, the AGO and NDS said intelligence operatives in presence of AGO officials conducted detective operations on Sunday.

During the operation, three members of the Meshrano Jirga or Senate were detained red handed accepting $40,000 in bribe.

The joint statement said the three senators had traveled to Balkh province for assessment and evaluation purposes and they were arrested as per the country laws and the Constitution.

The statement said the Meshrano Jirga had been informed about the arrest of its members under 102nd article of the Constitution.

However, the statement did not name the detained lawmakers, but a source told Pajhwok on Sunday that the detainees were Mohammad Azim Quyash, Mohammad Anwar Bashliq, and LiaqatullahBabakarkhel.

The source said these senators had gone to Balkh province for assessment and asked a customs director for payment of $60,000 in bribe, but they finally agreed on payment of $40,000.

Quyash is a lawmaker from Sar-i-Pul province, Bashliq from Faryab and Babakarkhel from Khost.

The Meshrano Jirga also confirmed the arrest of the three senators at Hairatan port in connection with bribery.

The three senators have not yet commented about the allegation against them but some supporters of Babakarkhel in social media condemned the lawmaker’s arrest as a conspiracy against him.

sa/ma

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