The Attorney General Office (AGO) has suspended Abdul Basir Azemi, deputy head of the administration and finance department at the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW), on charges of misusing his authority and negligence, an official said on Sunday.

AVA- AGO spokesman Jamshed Rassouli told Pajhwok Afghan News in compliance with presidential orders, the AGO sent a letter to the MoEW 45 days ago regarding the suspension of Azemi.

Azemi was accused of irresponsible activities in the construction of the Pashdan Dam on Harirod River in the Kurkh district of western Herat province, the spokesman said.

He, however, explained the suspension, putting his name on the Exist Control List and detention precautionary measures were aimed to wrap up investigations. These steps, he said, did not mean an individual being declared guilty or innocent.

He declined providing more details in this regard, saying that a team had been tasked with investigating the allegations. Despite multiple efforts, Azemi could not be reached for comments.

Mohammad Asif Ghafoor, chief of staff at the ministry, also refused to comment on the suspension of Azemi or reasons for the punitive action.

A reliable source in MoEW, meanwhile, confirmed to Pajhwok Azemi had not been coming to office for the past two months due to illness.

Work on the dam kicked off back in 2011 and was expected to be completed in three years. But according to some officials, 20 percent of work on the project has been completed.

The MoEW reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the slow-paced and low-quality work by a Pakistani company, which was awarded the contract.