Allegations that members of Afghan administration offer posts in exchange for sexual favours need probe, officials say.
Afghan officials, including the nation’s chief executive, have called for an investigation into allegations that high-level government members were offering jobs in exchange for sexual favours.
On Monday, Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of the national unity government, said that “something could have happened” and that there should be an investigation into matter if the claims can be verified.
Addressing the council of ministers meeting, which he heads, Abdullah said: “The solution should not be to punish those who have conveyed the message.”
So far, the only person to publicly make these allegations is General Habibullah Ahmadzai, a former security adviser to President Ashraf Ghani.
In an interview with Afghan channel Khursid TV last Thursday, Ahmadzai said: “People were working systematically for promoting adultery in the [presidential] palace and everyone is aware of it.”
Ahmadzai went on to say that “some ministers, president’s advisers and parliament members have [their] hands in prostitution”, claiming that some female parliamentarians were declared victors in last year’s highly-contested parliamentary election “based on [sexual] affairs”.
Ahmadzai himself unsuccessfully ran for one of the 33 parliamentary seats for Kabul province last October, leading some to question his motives after serving as a government adviser for more than three years.
The presidential palace has categorically denied the charges.
At a press conference earlier this week, Haroon Chakhansuri, a spokesman for Ghani, said: “Mr Habib Ahmadzai’s allegations are completely false and baseless. This issue will be seriously investigated and the results will be shared with the people of Afghanistan … Mr Ahmadzai’s allegations
are insult to the women who have sacrificed for so long to reach decision-making levels. No one will be allowed to harm the honour of Afghan women.”
The only other person who seemingly confirmed Ahmadzai’s claims was Mariam Wardak, an Afghan-American who worked in the national security council for several years.
Speaking to Indian news channel, World Is One News, Wardak brushed off claims that Ahmadzai was a candidate scorned, saying: “The issues he brought up and highlighted reflect reality.”
Wardak, who has since said her words were misconstrued, has come under attack by defenders of the government online.
Referring to the interview Wardak gave, Wazhma Frogh, a former ministry of defence official, tweeted: “It’s interesting that only people who lose their jobs then come up with revelations. When they remained silent when all this happened and you were silent, that doesn’t give you any
credibility.”
However, others have come to Wardak’s defence, pointing out that it was Ahmadzai who made the actual claim, and that he is the one who bears the burden of proof.
