KABUL (SW) – A number of Wolesi Jirga (lower house) members on Wednesday called on the acting Minister of Finance to reveal the names of lawyers involved in corruption at customs.
Acting Minister of Finance Khalid Payenda told a session of the Wolesi Jirga last week that about USD 8 million a day was stolen from customs in the country. Although, he had indicated that he would reveal the names of the accused at the next session of the house, but he did not.
In today’s session, the MPs reiterated that the names of those involved in customs corruption should be made public.
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One such member of the house, Jamaluddin Fakori Beheshti said some lawmakers were said to be involved in corruption and they were not allowing the acting finance minister to attend the session to reveal their names. According to him, the names of those who are preventing the acting finance minister from coming to the lower house should be made public.
Another lawmaker, Khalid Asad, said the acting finance minister’s remarks has put the reputation of the entire house at stake. He demanded that it should be made clear who was involved in monetary corruption at customs.
According to him, the reported corruption of millions of dollars at customs also raises questions with international donors, which might result in cut in aids.
Meanwhile, Haji Shahpoor, another member of the house, accused the speaker of the WJ of corruption and tax evasion. He said Mir Rehman Rehmani has been imported petroleum products worth billions to Afghanistan, but evading taxes on pretext of supplying it to the foreign forces only.
According to him, now that the number of foreigners in the country has decreased and they are leaving, still large amount of petroleum products are being transported to the country without paying taxes. He added that Mir Rahman Rahmani was partnering with an oil company called TRC, which was also accused of burning fuel tankers in the country.
He also said that although a parliamentary delegation had investigated the matter, but Rahmani did not allow it to share his findings with lawmakers.
We tried to get Rehmani’s opinion on the allegations against him, but to no avail.
ENDS
