KABUL - The Afghanistan Embassy in the United States has reconstructed its boundary wall measuring 70 meters at a cost of around 1,825,839 US dollars after its reconstruction for $88,000 was rejected by a company, Pajhwok has learnt.
For building the 70-meter wall, KADCON Corporation has been given $1,586,000, VIKA Company received $12,750 for survey, ECS received $12,250 for soil test, KCE received $64,839 for technical advices and DLA Piper received $150 for making contracts and legal consultation.
Nearly 21-time high rate
According to information, the wall has been built 20.74 times higher cost than the initial company proposed and each meter-square cost 8,694 US dollars.
A reliable source told Pajhwok Afghan News that a company had offered reconstruction of the 70-meter long and three-meter high wall of the eastern part of the Afghan embassy in Washington at a cost of 88,000 US dollars but the embassy rebuilt the wall at a cost of 1,586,000 US dollars through a contract by another company.
The source said the wall between the embassy and a house had collapsed on March 21, 2019 due to “negligence” on the part of the embassy and the owner of the neighboring house had repeatedly written to the embassy and requested the Afghan mission to construct the wall.
A credible source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Pajhwok that the ambassador in Washington had taken responsibility of the project from Barakatullah Rahmati due to pave the way for “corruption” in the project and she asked Haris Ansari from Kabul to be hired instead of Rahmati.
The source explained: “The ambassador (Roya Rahmani) changed the previous calculations for the project in consultation with Yama Nizam, Humayun Qayyumi, some members of the National Procurement Commission and Presidential Adviser Shad Mohammad. Instead, in a letter 912 dated October 26, 2019, a contract was signed with an American-based company KADCON Corporation at a cost of 1,586,000 US dollars – a decision the central government has accepted.”
“When an employee is recalled to Kabul, like other embassies, the embassy handles the return until a plane ticket, but could not force the employee to return for deport,” he added.
Gran Hewad, spokesman for MoFA, told Pajhwok that the issue was “sensitively important’ and they held two meeting for collecting information and after the 3rd meeting today (Saturday), they would provide information to Pajhwok and promised to talk about the matter again tomorrow. (Pajhwok)