Wolesi Jirga to grill its secretary on graft charges

KABUL’s permanent commissions were on Saturday tasked with investigating corruption allegations against the lower house secretary.

On July 22, first deputy speaker  Hamayon Hamayon introduced the Wolesi Jirga secretary to the Attorney General Office (AGO) over allegations including embezzlement and nepotistic recruitment. However, the lower house secretary has rejected all the allegations against him.

Recently, Tolo TV channel in a report accused the Wolesi Jirga secretary and the speaker of embezzlements in some contracts.

The report said 50 million afghanis had been paid as rent of the Wolesi Jirga speaker’s house and office by the government. The speaker was also accused of employing a number of his favorite persons in the Wolesi Jirga secretariat.

The issue was again discussed in Wolesi Jirga’s today session. Ali Akbar Qasemi, a lawmaker from southern Ghazni province, asked his colleagues to refrain from politicizing the issue which he suggested should be referred to the permanent commissions of Wolesi Jirga for investigation.

Sayed Akram, a lawmaker from eastern Nangarhar province, criticized Hamayon and said: “You should not have shared this issue with the media. You need to correct yourself first and then try on others. You have four cars using the same number plate.”

He called for investigation into the accusations against the Wolesi Jirga secretary, Khudai Nazar Nasrat. “Now as the issue is shared with the media, the first deputy speaker should prove his claims.”

Qais Hassan, representing Kabul people in the lower house, said “If there is corruption, it should be investigated otherwise the first deputy speaker has to offer himself for accountability to the people.”

A number of other lawmakers said the issue should not be echoed because it could earn the august house “shame”.

However, Hamayon Hamayon, said: “When I obtained evidence, I tasked the two commissions of the house to investigate the documents of the secretariat, but the secretary of the house later told me that the speaker does not allow such an investigation.”

He once again alleged embezzlement had happened in the secretariat of the Wolesi Jirga.

About the payment of the house rent for speaker, he said: “The rents of the speaker’s house were paid through code 91 only this year, in the past it was paid by the parliament.”

Talking to other lawmakers, he said: “If you support corruption, then make noise in the Wolesi Jirga hall, so this issue remain unaddressed, otherwise let the permanent commissions and other organs concerned investigate the issue.”

“If my claims are proven wrong, I will apologize to the people and other lawmakers and would accept whatever the Wolesi Jirga decides, my intention is only fighting corruption,” he said.

Speaker Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi called the issue as shameful and said” “This issue ought to be discussed.”

“The Central Audit Authority has investigated all documents of the secretariat, so there is no need for reinvestigation according to the law”, he said.

But some lawmakers criticized the speaker’s remarks and said the lower house had legal right to investigate its secretary.

Ibrahimi later tasked the audit, financial, justice and protection and lawmakers privileges commissions to investigate the allegations and share their reports with the lower house.

mds/ma

 

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