Afghan officials say allegations that members of Afghan administration offer posts in exchange for sexual favors need probe.
Thus, Afghanistan Chief Executive has called for an investigation into allegations that high-level government members were offering jobs in exchange for sexual favors, according to Afghanistan.ru.
Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of the National Unity Government, said on May 27 that "something could have happened" and that there should be an investigation into the matter if the claims can be verified.
Addressing the Council of Ministers meeting, which he heads, Dr. Abdullah said, “The solution should not be to punish those who have conveyed the message.”
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera says that so far, the only person who has made these allegations publicly is General Habibullah Ahmadzai, a former security adviser to President Ashraf Ghani.
In an interview with Afghan channel Khurshid TV, Ahmadzai reportedly said on May 23 that “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 winners in last year's highly-contested parliamentary election “based on sexual affairs.”
At the same time, Al Jazeera notes that Ahmadzai himself unsuccessfully ran for one of the 33 parliamentary seats in Kabul province last October, leading some to question his motives for making these allegations after serving as a government adviser for more than three years.
The presidential palace has categorically denied the charges.
