Covid-19 fund for Khost misappropriated, misspent  

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Hundreds of thousands of afghanis were withdrawn from the Covid-19 fund in southeastern Khost province under the pretext of quarantine related spending on people suffering from coronavirus during the first wave of the pandemic, Pajhwok Afghan News has reliably learned.

According to documents, the money was claimed to be spent at the Qabaelo High School quarantine facility where some passengers who had arrived in the province from foreign countries were kept.

Documents processed in this regard are signed and stumped by local officials. A total of 441 people had been registered for the quarantine in the facility.

These quarantined individuals were provided 1,299 food parcels from the City Centre Hotel in Khost City, the price of every parcel was 350 afs, documents show.

Surprisingly, some individuals who stayed in the quarantine facility told Pajhwok Afghan News that they were not served food. They said they visited the quarantine facility only once for registration purpose and did not return again.

Pajhwok contacted 30 people out of total registered individuals, but none said they had been quarantined or provided with food.

MohamamdUsman, one of the interviewed individuals, said: “We were not quarantined even for a single day nor we were offered food, all of this is rubbish.”

Documents show the quarantine list included the names of some people who served at the Khost Civil Hospital or in the Coronavirus Hospital.

Hundreds of thousands of afghanis were debated from the bank account for quarantine facility at the request of the Khost Finance and Administration Department through letter No. 249. The letter was also approved by the then Assistant Governor Abdul Wahid Patan.

The letter reads that the Qabaelo School quarantine centre facilitated suspected individuals with coronavirus symptoms, adding that on the basis of Health Department Letter No. 98 dated October 27, 1,299 parcels of food were purchased from City Centre Hotel. Food for sahri (pre-dawn meal) during Ramazan cost 120 afs per person while for Iftar cost 230 afs and total food parcel accounted for 350 afs. Food provided to 1,299 persons accounted for 454,650 afs and it was requested to issue orders for the release for funds.

Pajhwok strived to take the view of Khost Finance and Administration Department Head Hakeemullah Akbar and waited for two weeks but he did not agree to speak on the issue with Pajhwok.

SafiullahAmarkhel, in-charge of the City Centre Hotel, confirmed they provided food and added no contract or any paper documents were signed between them and the Governor House.

A committee tasked to monitor coronavirus fund spending acknowledged food had been purchased from City Centre Hotel for the quarantine facility without any due process.

Habibullah Khan Tanaiwal, the Provincial Council deputy head, and head of the monitoring committee, said corruption occurred in some part of the coronavirus fund spending.

He said the procurement committee did not provide them with some documents that proved corruption. He acknowledged that food parcels from City Centre Hotel were brought for the quarantine facility but were not served to patients.

Irrelevant spending of coronavirus fund:

According to reports, in the first wave of coronavirus, nearly five million afs from coronavirus fund was spent on the renovation of girls’ hostel and coloring of Cadres Hospital of Sheikh Zayed University.

Documents available with Pajhwok show the amount was spent on exhibitory activities and no constructive work was carried out.

Girls hostel was vacated for female doctors and nurses to stay and Cadre Hospital was dedicated for coronavirus patients treatment during the first wave of coronavirus.

This comes as Abdul Hakim Zadran, former member of the monitoring committee and head of the Khost Doctor’s Union, alleged corruption in all relevant committees dealing with coronavirus. He said fund allocated for combatting coronavirus was spent on irrelevant activities and something that were not necessary.

He said the best example was the spending of nearly five million afs on the renovation of girls hostel and painting of Cadres Hospital.

He said the reason why he resigned from the procurement committee was that he had to sign documents of corruption and misuse of fund.

Pajhwok received some photographs showing the low quality of work and some areas that are even not considered in the process.

According to reports on January 13, 2021, former Khost Governor Abdul Wahid Patan, Public health director, admin and finance officer of the Governor House and Khost revenue department head were referred to the Attorney General Office over alleged corruption in the coronavirus fund.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pajhwok published tens of reports related to alleged corruption in coronavirus fund.

nh/ma