Afghanistan's top prosecutor Tuesday said the US ambassador of threatening to have him removed from his post if he did not take action against an Afghan banker allegedly involved in fraud.
Attorney general Mohammad Is'haq Alko told reporters that Karl Eikenberry had violated diplomatic ethics by ordering him to have the banker arrested.
"Against all diplomatic ethics, the US ambassador tells me: 'If you don't jail him, you must resign'," Alko told reporters, citing a recent conversation with Eikenberry.
"Do diplomatic ethics allow the attorney general of a country to be threatened in such a manner?" Alko asked.
He said his office did not have enough evidence against the banker, Rafiullah Azimi, who was allegedly involved in a corruption case linked to a former minister now living in Britain after eluding an arrest warrant in March.
For its part, the US embassy in Afghanistan said it respects the government's decision.
"The US embassy has a regular dialogue and a strong partnership with the attorney general and his office, including robust mentoring and training programs," the embassy said in response.
"The ambassador's discussions with his counterparts are private and we're not going to comment on them. The United States continues to respect that personnel decisions are for the Afghan Government to make."
[Source: A-Manar TV]
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