Watchdog Questions AGO Progress on Cases Related to Former Afghani Ministers

In five years, the Attorney General’s Office, has investigated one out of  every twenty cases which are related to the conduct of  former cabinet ministers, a Kabul-based Afghan watchdog said on Tuesday.

Naser Timory, a Researcher at the Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA), an Afghan Civil Society organization that works to increase transparency, accountability and integrity in the country, told Ariana News that the Attorney General’s Office is slowly investigating the political cases.

“Case files with political dimensions were not probed timely, impartially, and fairly,” Timory said.

However, Jamshid Rasooli, Spokesperson of the AGO, said that dozens of corruption cases, involving high-profile government officials, have been investigated. Rasooli added that AGO has had impressive achievements.

“Dozens of senior security officials including generals, who were accused of corruption, were referred to justice. The investigation of a minister was an unprecedented move in the history of [Afghan] judicial institutions,” Rasooli said.

An Afghan parliamentarian also expressed her dissatisfaction about the performance of the Attorney General’s Office.

Raihana Azad, a lawmaker from Urozgan Province said that the eradication of corruption and anti-corruption efforts requires longer and more serious fight.

By Hesamuddin Hesam