Maidan Wardak’s former police chief Khalil Andarabi was on Sunday found not guilty on charges of embezzlement by the Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center’s Appeal Court after having been sentenced to three years in prison eight months ago.

Andarabi who was present at the hearing has maintained his innocence throughout the case, which was originally handed over to the Attorney General’s Office early last year.

The ACJC’s lower court handed down a guilty verdict last year and sentenced Andarabi to three years in prison. The former police chief had been charged with embezzling 24 million AFs.

However, Andarabi maintained he had not taken the money and had used it to fund a new police unit in Maidan Wardak.

Andarabi was also on Sunday found not guilty of misuse of authority.

After being found guilty by the lower court, Andarabi was freed on bail pending the outcome of his appeal.