The Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center’s court of appeals on Tuesday held two open sessions  – one of embezzlement and the other of accepting a bribe. 

In the first session, the court upheld the primary court’s earlier conviction and sentence of Farid Ahmad, a former Azizi Bank staff member, who had been found guilty of stealing $152,000 USD from the account of a customer who had died. 

Ahmad is serving 10 years and eight months in prison and was ordered by both courts to repay the money to the bank. 

“You, Ahmad Farid are sentenced to serve 10 years and eight months in prison on charge of embezzlement and also you have to repay $152,000 USD to Azizi Bank,” said judge Anisa Rasuli.

Ahmad’s defense attorney, Abdu Hafiz Salangi, asked to play a video that he said would prove his client’s innocence, but the judge rejected the request on the grounds that there was no equipment to screen the footage. 

“My case is not fully investigated and this decision is unfair,” said Ahmad.

In the second session, the appeal’s court also upheld an earlier primary court ruling that Major General Abdulhai, a former prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Office, accused of accepting a 50,000 AFs bribe, serve out a six year and two months jail term.

“You, Abdulhai son of Abdul Shokor are sentenced to serve two years and six months in prison on charge of taking a bribe,” Rasuli said.

Abdulhai’s defense attorney Abdul Farid Arabzada also said his client was innocent and submitted documents to the court in this respect. However, the judge upheld the earlier decision. 

“If I am the culprit and if I have taken the money, then my fingerprints should be on the money, which they are not,” Abdulhai said.