Afghan intelligence operatives have arrested three Afghan senators while taking bribes in Mazar-e-Sharif, capital city of the northern Balkh province, a local official confirmed.
Speaking at a press conference today, Monday, December 28, Farhad Azimi, governor of Balkh province, said that the central government in Kabul was already on board about this operation.
The governor confirmed that the senators were members of a delegation who visited Balkh province to assess local agencies responsible for collecting government revenues. Though Azimi did not identify the senators, he confirmed that the senators have also met with him. He said that the arrested senators were already transferred to Kabul.
Issuing a joint statement, the Attorney General’s Office and the National Directorate of Security have confirmed that the senators were arrested yesterday, Sunday, December 27, while taking USD 40,000 as bribe.
The two agencies added that they have already notified the country’s Senate, known as Meshrano Jirga, in an official written letter.
The Senate, however, has not commented regarding the arrest of its members so far.
Though, members of Afghanistan National Assembly have been frequently accused of bribery and corruption, this is the first time that senators are arrested on bribery charges.
