A Badakhshan man claiming to be a representative of the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission’s chairman has been caught on camera taking money from a disqualified parliamentary elections candidate. 

The man in the video introduces himself as Saifuddin Akbari. He promises the disqualified candidate Bashir Qanet who is from Takhar province that his name will be added to the final list of candidates if he pays him money. 

Akbari, in the video, says that he is a representative of IECC chairman Abdul Aziz Aryaie and after bargaining with Qanet agrees to include Qanet’s name in the final list for $50,000. 

Qanet was removed from the candidates list for having links to illegal armed men. 

In the video, Qanet wants Akbari to give him time to provide the money. 

The video then shows Akbari making a call - allegedly to the head of crime investigation department of Takhar police headquarters and assures him that he has received the money. 

Sources said Qanet filmed himself giving the bribe to Akbari in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). He recorded all serial numbers of the money in the time that Akbari gave him and then paid the money to him by the specified time. 

After taking the money, Akbari was arrested by police and officials from the AGO, close to the house of the disqualified candidate in Takhar.

“I sold my car to Bashir and this is my car’s money. It is 50,000 (USD),” said Akbari. 

IECC chairman Abdul Aziz Aryaie rejected his involvement in this issue adding that Akbari had wanted to tarnish his reputation. Aryaie called on legal and judicial centers to deal with Akbari in accordance with the law. 

“I want the legal and judicial centers to probe this seriously. It is not acceptable to us that anyone misuses my name,” said Aryaie. 

Sources said the head of the crime investigation department of Takhar police headquarters is also involved in this case and that he has also been arrested. 

Officials from the AGO said two people have been arrested in connection with the case and that their investigations are ongoing.