MoI Arrests 23 Officials Including Police Food Contractor on Corruption Charges

The Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) has arrested 23 officials including a major food contractor for the ministry on charges of stealing 600 million Afghanis from meat supply in one year by over-billing the ministry, the MoI Spokesman Nusrat Rahimi said on Wednesday.

The arrested officials are employees of the logistics and finance directorates of the ministry.

Three assistants of the contractor, who is identified as Haji Mohammad Rasa, were also arrested in connection to the alleged corruption.

The police have also put a travel ban on deputy interior minister for support and logistics and finance directors of the ministry for being involved in the case.

In one of his first speeches, Interior Minister Massoud Andarabi said he would treat those stealing from the food of Afghan police as no less than terrorists.

According to the MoI Spokesman, the suspects have been arrested with documents and evidence showing they have embezzled 600 million Afghanis by forging fake invoices.

In addition, Minister Andarabi has ordered a full investigation of the suspects involved in the scheme to steal from police food and refer their case files to the justice.