Another senior Bamyan official held on graft charges

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): The agriculture, irrigation and livestock director for central Bamyan province has been arrested on corruption charges, the goveor said on Wednesday.

Goveor Mohammad Tahir Zohari told Pajhwok Afghan News the agriculture director, Mohammad Tahir Attai, had been arrested by intelligence officials who long monitored his activities.

Attai was currently being interrogated by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) officials, the goveor said, but stopped short of going into details.

The provincial attoey office had previously arrested Attai on similar charges five years ago but was released after two months in detention.

Attai resumed work as the director of the agriculture department after his release. He has been on the director’s post for the past 15 years.

The goveor’s spokesman, Abdul Rahman Ahmadi, said the provincial govement was committed to eradicating corruption.

He said former education director Mohammad Reza Ada and Shibar district education officer had already been arrested for stealing pension money of the education department’s employees and teachers amounting to 90 million afs.

myn/ma