Ex-Helmand police chief jailed for 3 years

KABUL (Pajhwok): A primary court of the Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center (ACJC) has sentenced a former police chief for southern Helmand province to three years in prison.

Brig. Gen. Abdul Rahman Sarjang was appointed as Helmand police chief in October 2015 and he was dismissed five months later and introduced to the attorney’s office after being accused of abusing authority, selling a government vehicle and releasing two suspects from custody.

“Two soldiers, Jannat Gul and Rohullah, were arrested with 500,000 Pakistani rupees. The money was given back to the owner. After nine days, the two suspect soldiers were released by the accused (the police chief) after threatening a jail official,” said Mujiburrahman Adib, the ACJC prosecutor in the case.

Adib also accused Sarjang of illegally appointing his relatives to police posts, resulting in collapse of some areas to insurgents.  Adib added a corolla model car belonging to the provincial police headquarters was also sold by his son and guards against $1,800 under his order.

However, defense attorney for Sarjang, Mahmoud Akbari, spurned the accusations as baseless and said some Wolesi Jirga members had raised the allegations aimed at blackening his character and dismissal from duty.

He didn’t name the Wolesi Jirga members and said no proof and evidence had been produced against Sarjang.

At the court session, Sarjang said: “I swear, I had not committed these acts.  I don’t accept the accusations against me. I was not involved in what was said against me. In my 35 years service, I had never faced such allegations.”

At the end, the primary court sentenced Sarjang to three years in jail, granting the suspect next 20 days to move the appellate court if he was not satisfied with the verdict.

However, Sarjang chose to challenge the verdict in the appellate court.

sns/ma

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