The chairman of the Herat provincial council, Kamran Alizai was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by an Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center primary court on Monday over a number of accusations including misusing authorities, interfering in the affairs of Herat attorney general’s office, insulting prosecutors and objecting to the appointment of high-ranking officials in the province.
One of the accusations is that Alizai had interfered in the Herat attorney general’s office affairs and forced them to free a suspect.
“Because of misusing authorities and according to article 185 of the criminal code and according to article 209 of the legal executive law he is sentenced to two years and six months in prison. The order is not final and if he does not accept it, he and his attorney can appeal,” said Shir Agha Munib, the chairman of the judiciary.
Faroq Alim, the prosecutor quoted the Herat governor as saying: “Alizai went to the Herat attorney general’s office with his armed men and insulted the prosecutors and said they took bribes. He also had an accused man freed.”
Alizai was tried as a free man and he is still in his position.
“When someone is sentenced to punishment or prison, he loses his job and should be detained,” said Gul Ahmad Madadzai, deputy head of Afghanistan’s Lawyers Union.
Although the court had asked Alizai to attend the open hearing, he refused and instead sent his attorney.
“The logics behind the accusations by the prosecutor are in contradiction to article 19 of the legal executives and it is totally against the nature of the case and against the investigations which have been carried out,” said defending lawyer Parwiz Haqkhaw.
Afghan people always have stressed that the Anti-Corruption Criminal Justice Center should investigate major corruption and money embezzlement cases to increase peoples’ faith in judicial centers.