PAN, February 20, 2012

Graft-tainted official finds Supreme Court job

However, Zarwan and his deputy were able to avoid their arrest and escaped to Kabul

By Ahmad Quraishi

The water supply department director of western Herat province has been appointed as inspection and corruption-control officer at the Supreme Court, six months after he was fired on charges of corruption and embezzlement, a senior official said on Sunday.

Habibullah Zawran, the former Herat water supply department head, had been charged in 13 embezzlement cases after a three month investigation by the supervisory board, Herat governor Daud Shah Saba told a gathering of civil society members.

However, Zarwan and his deputy were able to avoid their arrest and escaped to Kabul after they were relieved of duties by the provincial attorney office.

Saba said:” It is very interesting that the individual has been appointed as the Supreme Court’s inspection officer for eastern zone. He will inspect judges and his case will not be followed at any court.”

Saba criticised the move and called for civil society’s support against non-implementation of laws and corruption.

Provincial Attorney Office Director Gul Ahmad Ramish said prosecution process in the cases of Zarwan, his deputy and an account officer was ongoing. The individuals escaped to Kabul after the attorney’s office ordered their arrest, he said. ”The Attorney General Office in Kabul has informed us that the accused are in Kabul and result of a probe into their cases will be sent to us”.

Senior director at the Supreme Court, Abdul Baser Sarwari, acknowledged Zawran had been appointed by the Supreme Court. “His job is to fight corruption and arrest judges involved in corruption”.

Sarwari dismissed the allegations against the accused as baseless, saying Zarwan’s case was in the Herat appellate court, but the attorney office could not provide evidence against him.

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