The Defense Commission of Afghanistan’s parliament on Tuesday said that the Administrative Office of the President (AOP) has breached the law by creating a new entity known as the Department of Policy and Strategy, in the structure of the AOP.

Lawmakers said that the AOP has also signed a contract for the supply of food stuffs to the Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior, which is totally in contradiction to the law.

Lawmakers said that the Department of Policy and Strategy is working in parallel to the National Procurement Authority (NPA).

Officials at the logistic departments of the Ministry of Defense meanwhile said that they do not have any information about the type of contracts which have been signed by the Department of Policy and Strategy.

“They have established a new entity within the Administrative Office of the President under the name of Department of Policy and Strategy which has no place in the law, this entity has sent a plan to the government and it seeks to work on the state enterprises and make them operational, they also signed a contract for the supply of meat to the Ministry of Defense which is against all procedures,” said Mir Haidar Afzali, the head of Parliament’s defense commission.

“Those military trenches which exist in remote areas, they are never supplied with meat or fruit, they hardly manage to prepare bread,” said Kiramuddin Rezazada, a member of Parliament’s defense commission.

The head of the legal department of the companies that opted to supply meat to the Ministries of Defense and the Ministry of Interior have said that the prices of meat supply offered to the Department of Policy and Strategy are much higher than the prices recommended by the bidding companies.

“They signed a contract for the supply of sheep’s meat for 470 Afs per kg, but other companies had offered 289 Afs per kg,” said Rohullah Sakhizada, a member of a private company.

“This department will not have a role in the purchasing--based on the law, all purchasing processes are carried out by the National Procurement Authority,” said Fatima Murchal, deputy spokesman to President Ashraf Ghani.

Meanwhile, the logistics and procurement department of the Ministry of Defense said that they do not know how this contract was made or at what price they will supply the meat for the ministry of defense.

“They want to bring all state enterprises under their control, it means the contract has been made on their recommendation--the Ministry of Defense has not been involved in it,” said Hashmatullah Latifi, the head of the purchasing Department of the Ministry of National Defense.

No official comment was available from the Presidential Palace.