Kandahar man gets 2 years in jail for electoral fraud

KANDAHAR CITY (Pajhwok): An appellant court in southern Kandahar province on Monday sentenced a man to two years in jail over fraud in the recent Wolesi Jirga elections and another man to three years over smuggling heroin to India.

The two men were tried during an open hearing witnessed by government officials and common people at the courtroom in Kandahar City, the provincial capital.

Mohammad Karim Mohammadi, head of the appellant court, told Pajhwok Afghan News the two men had been accused of rigging in elections and drug trafficking.

He said Din Mohammad son of Akhtar Mohammad was sentenced to two years in jail over committing fraud during the Wolesi Jirga elections.

Mohammad was arrested by security forces in Spin Boldak border district while selling 30 fake electoral stickers.

However, Mohammad rejected the allegation and said some individuals who openly committed fraud and rigging were yet to be arrested.

While the second person Massoud who tried to transfer 500 grams of heroin in his stomach to India was arrested by police at the Kandahar airport.

Massoud was sentenced to three years and six months in jail over drug trafficking.

Widespread rigging is alleged in the Wolesi Jirga polls in Kandahar where hundreds of complaints have been registered in this regard.

nh/ma