KABUL - The Wolesi Jirga on Sunday referred the Road National Authority (RNA) head to the Attorney General Office (AGO) over corruption allegations, asking the government to suspend him.
Mohammad Sadiq Qaderi, head of the lower house Complaints Hearing Commission, addressed a press conference here and accused RNA head Sheikh Matin of corruption.
He said people had complained Matin extorted money from people and illegally dismissed some officials and replaced them with other individuals against bribe.
“Documents I have found prove these claims and would be shared with the AGO”, he said.
Qaderi said Matin had been summoned four times to the house but he refused to come and the commission now decided to refer him to AGO.
He asked AGO to share their investigative report on the regard with the commission within a week. Qaderi asked the government to suspend Matin’s duty.
Tila Mohammad Utmanzai, head of Land Transport’s Coordination Council, also claimed that Sheikh Matin was taking money from them illegally and they had evidence about money taken from some transport vehicles did not go to the state treasure.
Sayed Hussain, who was removed from NRA, was present at the conference and said that Matin had removed 190 officers from their duties.
He said a number of officers were reemployed because they paid bribe while 47 others who refused to pay bribe were yet to be reemployed.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshnas, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, rejected bribery in the ministry but said that Sheikh Matin should provide his own response to the Wolesi Jirga.
Secretary of Sheikh Matin, who responded to Pajhwok’s telephone contact, said Matin was in a meeting and he could not talk right now. (Pajhwok)