MPs accuse colleagues of misusing police vehicles

KABUL: A number of lawmakers claimed that some of their colleagues are using police vehicles for their personal works.

They said that use of police vehicles and bodyguards for purpose other than stated in the rules and regulations is not a healthy practice which should be discouraged.

They asked the government to stop lawmakers from misusing government vehicles and bodyguards.

Muhammad Sarwar Osmani, an MP from Farah, said that many lawmakers were misusing the police ranger pick-up.

“Some of those MPs who have personal contacts with the security organizations got permission to use the police rangers. In the past the legislators several times criticized this malpractice, but no step was taken in this regard to ensure that government’s property was not used for personal works or misused,” he said.

Use of the police rangers by the lawmakers, puts burden on the government as funds for fuel is provided from the exchequer, the legislator said, adding that extra bodyguards have been provided by the security organizations to a number of lawmakers.

Ghulam Hussain Naseri acknowledged that some parliamentarians had extra bodyguards and were using police ranger. He said that 153 policemen are for the lawmakers as bodyguards. “The number shall be reduced,” he suggested.

He said that according to rules, an MP is allowed to have four bodyguards. “If an MP has more than four bodyguards then he would pay salaries of extra bodyguards from his own salary,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the administrative board of the Lower House (LH) has said that it was not approved as an official resolution by the LH.

Deputy Speaker of the LH said that no resolution was put forward in the session by the lawmakers, but the security organizations would be asked to take back the police rangers and extra bodyguards from the MPs.