Monday September 26, 2016
Kabul (BNA) Officials of the Attorney General Office (AGO) reported on the government’s serious efforts to prevent corruption, adding establishment of judicial center would act like a fighting corruption machine. Basir Azizi, the spokesperson for AGO said, ‘the government of Afghanistan needed a machine to decrease corruption level and the judicial organ is one of the significant steps that can be effective in this regard.’ The aim of the government and AGO is to offer better services to people, because, we want to review all corruption related files through the judicial center, Azizi further said. Furthermore, the center would also start probe into usurped government and people properties, Azizi added. Likewise, recently, in High Council of Rule of Law and Fighting Corruption meeting, President Ghani said, ‘practical measures are needed to be taken to fight administrative corruption—a move if done would enhance the people trust in the government.’ Meanwhile, welcoming establishment of the judicial center by the government, the lower house of the parliament stressed that the center should neutrally review the corruption files and makes effort to win the Afghan people trust.
Mohammad Abduh, member of the judicial commission for the house said, ‘there are rumors existed that the center is a parallel administration alongside other judicial organizations, adding they are baseless and the center would never be tantamount with Supreme Court, because it has been established by AGO and will work for it.’ He also added that by establishment of the center, the government wants to show to the world community that fighting corruption is one of its top priorities.
The center can identify the corrupt people and will then refer their files to Supreme Court, Abduh continued, adding the aim behind establishment of the center is to accelerate fighting administrative corruption. Meanwhile, the experts while welcoming the president assertions said, ‘we have to seriously and decisively fight administrative corruption, otherwise, the phenomenon will negatively affect on rule of law and justice.’ Mohammad Haidar Hemat, a political expert said, ‘establishment of judicial center, the strategy on fighting corruption, supervising fighting corruption process and necessary political support are the measures that can follow fruitful outcomes.’
Hemat believes that lack of law implementation, economic crisis, fleeing of the youth from the country and decrease in foreign aids are the issues originated from corruption, therefore, the phenomenon should be decisively fought to help Afghanistan get rid of the status quo.
Kabir Ranjbar, a lawyer believes that the president should first supervise the judicial organs of the country and makes effort to dry the root of the phenomenon, because the Afghan people do not want their country once again to be introduced as corrupt countries of the world.
This is while that over the last fourteen years, there have many organizations established on fighting corruption, but still none of them could bring the powerful corrupt individuals to justice and unfortunately, Afghanistan is rankly the third corrupt country after North Korea and Somalia.
Suraya Raiszada
