A leading prosecutor in Afghanistan says he has been fired for refusing to block corruption investigations into senior government officials.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during a Trilateral regional summit including Iran and Tajikistan, in Tehran. Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, a former deputy attorney-general, told The New York Times newspaper that Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and his allies had blocked or stalled investigations into more than two dozen officials. (AFP/File/Atta Kenare) Fazel Ahmed Faqiryar, a former deputy attorney-general, told The New York Times newspaper that Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, and his allies had blocked or stalled investigations into more than two dozen officials.

He said the probes included cases into cabinet ministers, ambassadors and provincial governors.

"He [Karzai] won't sign anything. We have great, honest and professional prosecutors here, but we need support," Faqiryar told the Times.

"We propose investigations, detentions and prosecutions of high government officials by we cannot resist him [Karzai]."

The account has been largely corroborated by five western officials familiar with the cases, who said that Karzai and his government have repeatedly thwarted prosecutions against high-ranking officials, the paper reported.

'Stalling and stalling'

One US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Afghan prosecutors had prepared several cases against officials suspected of corruption but Karzai was "stalling and stalling and stalling".

Faqiryar said his prosecutors had opened cases on at least 25 current or former Afghan officials including 17 members of Karzai's cabinet, five provincial governors and at least three ambassadors.

But Umer Daudzai, Karzai's chief of staff, disputed the allegations and said his government was trying to stop corruption cases from becoming "politicised".

"I strongly deny that the president has been in any way obstructing the investigations of these cases," Daudzai told the Times. "On the contrary, he [Karzai] has done his bit." 

Cases did not proceed

None of the cases have been able to proceed, Faqiryar said. He did not elaborate on the cases specifically, nor did he say if Karzai himself was involved in all of the cases or if the orders were coming from Ishaq Aloko, the country's attorney-general, or other ministers. 

Afghanistan's government, financed with money from the US and Nato, is "widely regarded as one of the most corrupt in the world", the Times reported.

Earlier this month, Karzai intervened to stop the prosecution of Mohammed Zia Salehi, one of his closest aides, after investigators said they had wiretapped conversations where he demanded a bribe from another Afghan seeking his help in ending a corruption investigation.  

Haroun Mir, an Afghan political analyst, told Al Jazeera that Karzai's administration has been struggling with corruption since his re-election.

"Instead of taking measures in the fight against corruption to improve his image, he [Karzai] has dismissed [Faqiryar]," Mir said.

Power brokers, including those who helped in Karzai's election, have virtual immunity from prosecution, he said.

"I don't think Karzai will be able to take any action against these powerful people in the country," Mir said.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies