Sixty-five individuals from different ethnic groups have been trialled by Afghanistan's Anti-Corruption Justice Centre since its establishment nearly three years ago.
65 individuals from different ethnic groups trialled by ACJC
Afghan Voice Agency(AVA) , 11 Apr 2019 - 18:03
Sixty-five individuals from different ethnic groups have been trialled by Afghanistan's Anti-Corruption Justice Centre since its establishment nearly three years ago.
A total of 31 Pashtuns, 24 Tajiks, seven Hazaras, two Uzbeks and one from Sadat ethnic group have been sentenced by the court over the period, documents obtained by 1TV show.
This comes as some on social media have protested jailing of Abdul Razaq Wahidi, a former communication minister, who is a member of Hazara ethnic group.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, second deputy to government’s chief executive, has called Wahidi’s arrest a discriminatory and political act.
Wahidi was previously acquitted in case of corruption over a levy on mobile telephone charges.
He has been arrested after being sentenced to three years in prison in absentia in a separate case involving his role as deputy minister of finance for administrative affairs.
He has been sentenced over corruption in printing work licenses for Afghan and foreign citizens at high prices. The government has incurred a loss of 19 million afghanis as a result, according to the documents.
Wahidi, however, is not the only individual sentence over the case. Mohammad Qahir Haidari, a former deputy minister of finance who is a Pashtun, has been sentenced to two years in prison.
The documents show that those who have been trialled at the ACJC include 18 generals, 10 deputy ministers, four heads or members of provincial council, two mayors, seven colonels and eight businessmen.
Lal Gul Lal, a human rights activist, said that some have used ethnicity as a shield against implementation of laws.
Story Code: 183102