Logar passport worker escapes with 1m afghanis

PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Security officials in central Logar province say an employee of the province's Passport Department has fled with about a million afghanis collected in revenue.

Ahmadullah Anas, Logar police spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that KhwajaFarhad, an employee of the Passport Department, had stolen a million afghanis from passport service revenue.

"The employee collected the money from passport applicants in cash by giving them fake bank receipts. He also took money from people under the excuse to give them priority for their registration,  he said.

He said that efforts were underway to arrest the man and six suspects had been arrested in connection with the issue and an investigation was underway.

Anas denied some media reports that the stolen amount was 30 million afghanis and said that the amount was only one million afghanis.

After the incident, a number of Logar residents told Pajhwok that they had paid for registration to get passport but they were yet to receive it.

Habibullah, a resident of Kalangar area of ​​the capital of Logar, said, "A month ago, I completed all the required tasks to apply for passport, I gave 5,500 afghanis to Passport Department workers in bank tariff…”

He said that he was informed today that the passport department worker had fled and the money he and hundreds of other people paid for the service had been stolen.

Ajmal, a resident of Niazi area in Pul-i-Alam city, the provincial capital,said that the passport worker had taken 10,000 afghanis from him and one another person and told them that they will be given priority.

The Passport Department of Logar province was shut four times since the new government was established due to technical issues. The department was reopened for people last week after a month of closure.

Mds/ma