KABUL - Some parliament members say that a number of their fellow MPs, together with contractors, benefit from the contracts of the security forces. However, the National Procurement Authority denied the allegations and said that the process of the contracts had become transparent than before.
“We are unable to investigate corruption in the security sector because some MPs themselves are the contractors,” said Kamal Safi, an MP.
Some ex-military officers also say that fraud in the logistics procurement of the security forces has badly affected the army’s performance on the battlefield.
Atiqullah Amarkhil, an army veteran said, “Everybody thinks about their personal benefit, rather than the troopers fighting in the field. A hungry soldier is never going to fight.”
However, the National Procurement Authority denies the claims, saying that more than ever before, the procedure has become much transparent.
Ramin Ayaz, head of the Strategic Relations of the National Procurement Authority, said, “The whole management of contracts is in the ministries hands. They should let us know if there is an issue.”
Nasrat Rahimi, the MoI spokesperson, underlined that corruption has been seriously fought against in the MoI. Some 3 billion AFN have been saved only in terms of procurement.
It is noteworthy, this is not the first time that the security sectors have been accused of corruption and fraud in procurement dealings. These sectors have received plenty of criticism for not observing transparency in their contracts. (ATN)