KABUL (Pajhwok): A Wolesi Jirga member has accused a senator of extorting money from traders and customs officials in the western zone. However, the senator spurned the claim as baseless.
Abdul Sattar Hussaini, a representative of Farah people in the Wolesi Jirga, blamed Mohammad Hashim Alokozai, head of the defence commission, of extortion during Wednesday’s session.
Hussaini alleged: “Alokozai is harassing traders, drivers and customs officials in the western zone, Nimroz, Farah and Herat provinces.
“Every time he brings corrupt individuals from Helmand in the name of representatives of the president and AGO, he receives money. Recently, he pocketed $250,000.”
Hussaini claimed: “There are credible documents and voice messages that link Alokozai to corruption and extortion.”
The legislator remarked: “Alokozai was lucky during his trip to Farah this time when I was sick, otherwise he would not have left the province safely.”
Addressing the speaker, he said: “Have a meeting with the Meshrano Jirga (Senate) chairman to rid the western zone of Alokozai’s cruelty and corruption.”
During the session, the public representative went on to play an audio clip he attributed to Alokozai, who smilingly says: “There are many things to do, let me finish the staled work. God is merciful; we will get this new work done in Farah.”
Hussaini claimed having enough documents showing that the senator had already received $173,000 in cash and would get the remainder later.
“Our soldiers have no bread to eat, but he (Alokozai) uses a helicopter for theft. If the government or the president says that domestic revenues are being stolen it is just because Alokozai and people like him are corrupt.”
The MP revealed he had compiled all documents related to Alokozai’s extortion and corruption and provided them to the Serious Crimes Department and the Attorney General Office.
The lower house member, meanwhile, took a swipe at the senator extortion for committing corruption at a massive last year.
But Alokozai, a public representative from Helmand province in the upper house and head of the defence commission, told Pajhwok Hussaini’s allegations were baseless and that a delegation of several members of the upper house had recently traveled to the western zone to monitor the situation.
He branded Hussaini a mafia network leader: “Hussaini receives up to $30,000 a month from Farah officials and tells them not care about the delegation coming from Kabul. Now that we have exposed his corruption Hussaini has accused me of extortion.”
He also hit out at the lawmaker having irresponsible gunmen and creating checkpoints along the highway. The senator said Hussain was leading a public uprising group in Farah to aid his crimes.
Alokozai disclosed without elaborating that several vehicles loaded with explosives had been brought from Iran to Afghanistan to destroy important national projects, especially the Kamal Khan Dam, were seized.
While one vehicle was seized, another was taken away by Hussaini’s men, the MP said, adding efforts were underway to find it.
According to him, the Meshrano Jirga team has gathered credible documents on the existence of corruption in Farah. Activities of the Hussaini-led mafia network would be share with the judiciary, he promised.
He confirmed a number of elders accompanied him on provincial trips; but they were not involved in official affairs and did not represent any place.
Alokozai said he would formally raise the issue in the Meshrano Jirga session and share documents about Hussaini with the administrative board and the Wolesi Jirga.
Four months ago, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) and AGO announced the arrest of three senators, who had travelled to Balkh to monitor Hairatan Port activities. The senators were accused of taking $40,000 in bribes.
The primary court said each of the senators had been sentenced to 10 years in prison in addition to being fined heavily.
sa/mud
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