The United States government announced on Monday a series of sanctions against two former Afghan political figures, the former President of the Afghan Parliament and his son, accusing them of running a large-scale embezzlement and corruption network involving 40 entities, according to the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Mir Rahman Rahmani, the former President of the Afghan Parliament, and his son Ajmal are alleged to have embezzled millions of dollars from contracts funded by US aid meant for Afghan security forces, according to the US Treasury Department.
Brian Nelson, the Treasury Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated in a press release that these sanctions underscore Treasury’s commitment to hold those who seek to exploit their positions for personal gain accountable.
The two individuals are accused of inflating invoices for various services intended for Afghan security forces, creating a tax evasion system, stealing fuel for resale, and establishing a corrupt network that enabled them to continue these activities.
The sanctions also target around 40 companies, the majority of which are foreign, owned or overseen by Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son, and involved in the corruption and embezzlement network.
Among the companies are approximately 20 established in Germany, mostly in the real estate sector, and about 10 in Cyprus, with two in Afghanistan.
As always, the sanctions include freezing all assets held by Rahmani in the United States, either directly or indirectly, as well as the implicated companies.
US companies or individuals are currently prohibited from engaging in business relationships with the sanctioned individuals or entities, subject to penalties.
Corruption among Afghan politicians has been a longstanding issue throughout US support for the local government.
In April, the White House acknowledged intelligence failures during the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, particularly regarding the scale of corruption within the Afghan government.
