US, UK to stop aid if corruption continues

The US and Britain will stop helping Afghanistan if corruption is not rooted out,

the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption said. Head of the High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, Azizullah Ludin, expressed grave concern that the US and Britain will not be willing to continue helping Afghanistan if no serious action is taken to root out corruption. Mr Ludin urges international community and the Afghan government to join hands in fighting against corruption. "We have to work together to eradicate corruption and reassure the US and Britain that their aid is not wasted in Afghanistan," Mr Ludin said. The High Office of Oversight and Anti-corruption has also urged Britain to freeze all bank accounts of the former Afghan cabinet minister Sediq Chakari and extradite him to Afghanistan. The issue has been raise with British officials who have pledged to cooperate with the Afghan government. According to Mr Ludin, Chakri has many cases of embezzlement filed against him and in addition he has around $800,000m in his Dubai bank account. Mr Ludin also hinted to the disappearance of 42 million dollars of donation to the Afghan National Army Hospital in Kabul. "It is clear that 42 million dollars has been donated to the hospital and disappeared. This case should be addressed seriously," said Mr Ludin. He believes not only Afghans but also "some others" are involved in this misappropriation. Corruption in Afghanistan is one of the biggest concerns of donor countries. Some of the high ranking officials have been accused of corruption, but it is believed that the Afghan government, in the last 9 years, has not been able to bring a single corrupt official to justice.