The Administrative Office of the President (AOP) has accused the Afghan Ministry of Finance of not being accountable amid recent allegations of corruption and "illegal appointments of its employees and the head of the custom houses."
Based on the documents seen by TOLOnews, the Presidential Palace had ordered the Deputy Minister of Finance for Customs to swiftly fire 138 employees of the ministry who were hired during the current year and identify those at the Ministry of Finance who had suggested these appointments.
The findings of a team assigned by the Presidential Palace shows that at least 60 employees of the Ministry of Finance who were recently fired by the president have continued their work. The 60 employees were supposed to be referred to the legal and judicial organs.
“The appointments which are made by the minister, the Administrative Office of the President and the Presidential Palace have no role on it,” said Khan Agha Rezayee, MP.
“What is being carried out by the government in the name of anti-corruption, they have only political and personal motives,” said Fazal Rahman Oria, a political analyst.
President Ashraf Ghani ordered the dismissal of 60 employees of the Ministry of Finance three months ago.
“The Attorney General takes swift action and will investigate the issue—the outcome of investigations will be shared with the people in line with the law,” said Jamshid Rasouli, a spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office.
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has not commented on the documents. However, recently the Ministry of Finance denied that the president had ordered the dismissal of 60 employees.