Welcome Step Against Corruption

The anti-corruption Commission’s move to start the process of prosecution of the former acting Minister of Haj and Religious Affairs, Seddiq Chakari, has made Afghans hopeful. They expect that the Commission will follow this up with more steps against many other corrupt officials in the government

Killid Commentary

The anti-corruption Commission’s move to start the process of prosecution of the former acting Minister of Haj and Religious Affairs, Seddiq Chakari, has made Afghans hopeful. They expect that the Commission will follow this up with more steps against many other corrupt officials in the government. Though the Commission has not been very effective so far, the steps against Chakari, who embezzled $400,000 from the money paid by Haj pilgrims, is a step in the right direction.

The move followed the indictment of Haji Noor, the Treasurer to the Ministry of Haj who has been prosecuted, tried and sentenced to 16 years in prison. During the initial investigation of the complaints, Chakari, a former jihadi commander, had declared his innocence and said he was being supported by 120,000 scholars. His brash and aggressive declarations however petered out as soon as the case against him was ready to go to trial. Escaping from Afghanistan and prosecution, he went to Britain where he already had British citizenship in an attempt to save himself from the Afghan judicial system. Since then he has kept quiet and not commented on the case.

Interpol hunting

Though the Afghan court has now request Interpol to hand over Chakari, his extradition to Afghanistan will depend on the British government’s decision to hand him over.

The Commission has now announced that it would shut down Chakari’s bank account which contains an estimated $1 million. The Commission has also shut down 16 other accounts but the details of those accounts and the names under which they exist have not been made public. It is also likely that Chakari may have other bank accounts and that he had been embezzling money in other ways all along.

The Commission’s decision to prosecute one of the most powerful men has focused attention on the work of the Commission and what it will do in the future. Much of its effectiveness will depend on whether it gets backing at the highest political level. President Karzai had promised the Commission his full support and it has to be seen whether this is borne out. However what is more likely is that Karzai will continue to provide his support and backing to powerful individuals and this will limit the action that the Commission may be able to take.

The Commission is supposed to check and announce the moveable and immoveable assets of all high-ranking Afghan officials including the president, the vice presidents, and others. While this may be a warning to future officials not to participate in corruption, such measures cannot deal with the existing corruption as officials have many ways of escaping the law and prosecution. It is therefore far more important to focus on measures that can prevent corruption at the beginning and deny corrupt officials the chance to embezzle public funds.

Second in the list

Currently Afghanistan holds the unenviable position of being the second most corrupt country following Somalia. Many of those in high positions in the government are involved in crimes and are unlikely to reform their ways. Until these persons are removed from the government, efforts to root out corruption will meet with little success.  Chakari himself is an example of persons who are critical of others while feathering their own nest at every opportunity.

Many internationals working in Afghanistan are also involved in corruption and have been responsible for the contagion of corruption spreading widely. It is unclear as to how the Commission can actually deal with that aspect of corruption.

One of the major problems leading to corruption within Afghans is the extremely low earning capacity and the high costs of living, a temptation for many to get involved in corrupt practices. Unless these causes of corruption are rooted out there can be no real change in the situation. Rather than blaming each other, the international community and the Afghan government should both admit to their own responsibilities and try and reform the system. Corruption is not just holding back development and preventing economic progress in this country but it is also one of the main and fundamental causes of deteriorating security and increasing insurgency across the country.