Afghan gov't to set up courts for high officials accused of corruption

In efforts to eliminate the alleged widespread administrative corruption in Afghanistan, the Afghan cabinet has approved a law enabling the judiciary to set up special courts for high-ranking officials including ministers and judges who might have been accused of involvement in corruption and grafts, presidential spokesman Waheed Omar said Tuesday.

"The cabinet approved a law yesterday (Monday) under which special courts would be set up to investigate the serving and former officials including ministers who are accused of involvement in corruption," Omar told a weekly press conference.

He also said that the law will be in a legislative decree or might be sent to the parliament for approval.

The approval of the law took place just a week before an international conference on Afghanistan is going to be held in Kabul on July 20 in which the Afghan government will ask for more funds and access to at least 50 percent of the fund contributed by international community for the rebuilding process of the war- battered nation.

However, international donor agencies and nations have frequently complained that billions of U.S. dollars spent to Afghanistan have been wasted by either incompetent establishment or widespread administrative corruption.

Although the Afghan government acknowledging some problems, says it has been responsible for only 20 percent of money contributed to Afghanistan.

Omar also rejected media reports that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded the United Nations Security Council to remove the names of 50 Taliban leaders from the UN black list containing the names of terrorists.

"The Afghan government in 2005 called on the UN to remove the names of 20 individuals but the names of five of them have already been removed," Omar said.

He said this year Afghanistan wanted only 10 entities to be delisted one by one and separately.

"We have agreed with the UN to review 10 individuals this year, " he said.

Source: Xinhua