ARLINGTON, Va. –A special agent for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) recently testified in Afghanistan Appellate Court against a politically connected Afghan who tried to defraud the U.S. Government. The agent’s testimony against Mohammad Ibrahim Ashna, charged with theft and bribery totaling more than $1 million, resulted in an extension of Ibrahim's prison sentence and the doubling of his fine.
“The special agent’s outstanding work epitomizes the dedication that SIGAR and our investigators have to protecting the U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan” said Special Inspector General Sopko. “SIGAR is committed to ensuring that all criminals who attempt to undermine reconstruction activities are brought to justice, and where we can we will continue to work closely with Afghan authorities to make that happen.”
The case was initiated as a result of information provided by a cooperating witness, which led to the agent going undercover to investigate. SIGAR provided information to the Afghan Attorney General’s Office, which led to Afghan authorities, assisted by SIGAR special agents, arresting Ibrahim on charges of theft and bribery. After the theft charges were initially thrown out in local court, the case was transferred to the Afghanistan Appellate Court in Balkh Province. The agent’s testimony there on March 16, 2013, against Ibrahim resulted in reinstatement of the theft charges, an increase in the sentence and the doubling of his fine.
It is extremely rare for a non-Afghan to be asked to testify in person during the public portions of Afghan criminal proceedings, according to a senior legal advisor from the Office of Justice Attaché at the U.S. Embassy Kabul who attended the appellate proceeding as an observer. The SIGAR agent’s testimony marked one of the few occasions – if not the first – that a U.S. law-enforcement agent has testified in a criminal case in Afghanistan, according to the Justice attaché.
During the investigation, SIGAR learned that in addition to the bribery and theft, Ibrahim had political and business connections to the provincial governor of Jawzjan Province, Mohammed Allem Saaie. Ibrahim served as an advisor to the governor and as the provincial officer in Jawzjan for the Performance-Based Governor’s Fund, funded primarily by USAID and administered by the Asia Foundation.
SIGAR’s work led to:
- Recovery of $42,000 in bribe payments by Ibrahim;
- Savings valued at $825,000 from 11 fraudulent Transportation Movement Requests;
- Recovery of stolen U.S. government fuel valued at $150,000;
- Seizure of four tanker trucks valued at $180,000; and
- Expulsion of five corrupt Afghans from US-NATO military facilities.