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AGO Approves Bail For Haji Rasa Accused Of Embezzling $7.5M

The Attorney General’s Office, or the AGO, approved on Sunday the bail for Haji Mohammad Rasa, a food contractor accused of embezzling Afs600 million ($7.5 million) from meat supply to the Afghan National Police.

Rasa was arrested last month along with 22 other individuals, among them higher and lower rank officials of the ministry, who, the Ministry of Interior said, collaborated in the purchase of meat with him last year.

The total amount of contract between the Interior Ministry and the contractor company is estimated Afs1.2 billion (around $15 million).

Sources said the owner of the company, Shuja Abdara and Hamid, and its staff members had forged the stamp of the Ministry of Interior and were collaborating with police commanders in provinces to conduct the “embezzlement”.

Documents seen by TOLOnews show that majority of the amount was embezzled in Kabul, Parwan, Nangarhar, Kapisa, Punjsher, Baghlan, Nuristan and Laghman provinces.

Based on leaked documents, the company was supplying 5,000 kilograms of meat to the national police in a province, but they were receiving 10,000 kilograms of meat in bills by police commanders. In some cases, when police commanders were not prepared to do so, the company was using a fake stamp to do its job.

“Law has set certain limits for detention and monitoring of individuals. The assigned prosecutor’s suggestion was that the individual should be free so that we can complete our investigation in proper time to make sure that all dimensions of the case are assessed,” said AGO spokesman Jamshid Rasuli.

Addressing reporters on Sunday, the Acting Minister of Interior, Massoud Andarabi, said a center has been provided to the Attorney General’s Office at the Ministry of Interior to assess the case and collect their required documents.

He said that the bail for Rasa does not mean that he has been acquitted by the court.

“The case has vast dimensions and you [reporters] can follow the progress as the investigation continues,” Andarabi added.

TOLOnews could not get Rasa’s comment despite repeated attempt.

The Attorney General’s Office has imposed travel ban on at least eight of the suspects of the case, including Haris Siraj, the acting head of the Interior Ministry’s logistics department; Nasir Zaid, head of the finance department; Mirwais Janbaz, acting head of logistics department and five other senior and lower officials.

AGO Approves Bail For Haji Rasa Accused Of Embezzling $7.5M

The Acting Minister of Interior says the case has many dimensions and needs a thorough investigation.

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The Attorney General’s Office, or the AGO, approved on Sunday the bail for Haji Mohammad Rasa, a food contractor accused of embezzling Afs600 million ($7.5 million) from meat supply to the Afghan National Police.

Rasa was arrested last month along with 22 other individuals, among them higher and lower rank officials of the ministry, who, the Ministry of Interior said, collaborated in the purchase of meat with him last year.

The total amount of contract between the Interior Ministry and the contractor company is estimated Afs1.2 billion (around $15 million).

Sources said the owner of the company, Shuja Abdara and Hamid, and its staff members had forged the stamp of the Ministry of Interior and were collaborating with police commanders in provinces to conduct the “embezzlement”.

Documents seen by TOLOnews show that majority of the amount was embezzled in Kabul, Parwan, Nangarhar, Kapisa, Punjsher, Baghlan, Nuristan and Laghman provinces.

Based on leaked documents, the company was supplying 5,000 kilograms of meat to the national police in a province, but they were receiving 10,000 kilograms of meat in bills by police commanders. In some cases, when police commanders were not prepared to do so, the company was using a fake stamp to do its job.

“Law has set certain limits for detention and monitoring of individuals. The assigned prosecutor’s suggestion was that the individual should be free so that we can complete our investigation in proper time to make sure that all dimensions of the case are assessed,” said AGO spokesman Jamshid Rasuli.

Addressing reporters on Sunday, the Acting Minister of Interior, Massoud Andarabi, said a center has been provided to the Attorney General’s Office at the Ministry of Interior to assess the case and collect their required documents.

He said that the bail for Rasa does not mean that he has been acquitted by the court.

“The case has vast dimensions and you [reporters] can follow the progress as the investigation continues,” Andarabi added.

TOLOnews could not get Rasa’s comment despite repeated attempt.

The Attorney General’s Office has imposed travel ban on at least eight of the suspects of the case, including Haris Siraj, the acting head of the Interior Ministry’s logistics department; Nasir Zaid, head of the finance department; Mirwais Janbaz, acting head of logistics department and five other senior and lower officials.

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