Senators in Afghanistan arrested on charge of bribery

KABUL, Afghanistan

Authorities in Afghanistan on Monday announced arresting three members of the parliament's anti-corruption committee on a charge of taking bribes worth $40,000.

The Attorney General’s Office and the spy agency NDS said in a joint statement that the senators were allegedly caught red-handed in the northern Balkh province bordering Uzbekistan.

It added that the accused were on a visit to the border town of Hairatan to monitor monetary affairs of the dry port when caught red-handed. Information about this case has been provided to the parliament in writing in accordance with Article 102 of the constitution, the statement also said.

Meanwhile, Balkh Governor Farhad Azimi told a news conference that the accused have been transferred to the capital Kabul for further action.

The identities of the accused are not revealed.

At the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Afghanistan remains the fifth most corrupt country only ahead of Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, and Somalia.

Ahead of a key international donors’ conference last month, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani announced the formation of Anti-Corruption Commission to address the issue in the war-torn country.

This was followed by the country receiving financial pledges worth an estimated $12 billion for the next four years at the Afghanistan International Conference in Geneva with many strings attached.

*Writing by Riyaz Ul Khaliq