Kabul Mayor Resigns

[tekisui]

Source: Radio Free Europe/Reuters

KABUL (Reuters) -- The mayor of Kabul, convicted of corruption last week in the biggest case since President Hamid Karzai ordered a crackdown, has relinquished his post after days of defying prosecutors by continuing to go to work.

A municipality official said Mayor Abdul Ahad Sayebi had given up his post and was replaced on Sunday by a caretaker.

The mayor was sentenced to four years in jail last week, but remained free on bail pending an appeal and continued to show up at work, defying prosecutors who said his conviction automatically meant he should be fired.

Sayebi was convicted of corruptly extending the lease of a market without a competitive bid. He says the charges were politically motivated and aimed at removing him from office.

One of his deputies, Wahabuddin Sadat, was taken into custody at Kabul airport on December 12 after arriving home from the Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, said Fazel Ahmad Faqiryar, a deputy attorney general.

"Like the mayor, he (Sadat) was also responsible for the contract of the market and he was arrested at Kabul airport on arrival," Faqiryar told Reuters of the deputy mayor.

Faqiryar said the Attorney General's office had secured guarantees from the mayor's office that Sayebi would no longer come to the municipality as its chief or use its facilities.

more: http://www.rferl.org/content/Kabul_Mayor_Resigns/1902714.html

[Arctic Dave]

1. No bid contract? Where have I heard that before?

I did realize this was illegal. Must just be a middle eastern thing.

[unhappycamper]

2. Karzhai quit? Really?

n/t