Friday, 6 September 2013

AFGHANISTAN: International Arrest Warrant Out For Female Afghan Banker Who Disappeared With $1.1m

An international manhunt is underway for a former Afghan bank worker who is believed to have stolen $1.1 million.

Shokofa Salehi, 22, (pictured) worked in the money transfer division at the headquarters of Azizi Bank, a major Afghan lender in Kabul.

She disappeared around two months ago with investigators saying she is suspected of transferring some $1.1 million out of the bank's coffers to accounts of relatives.

Besides Salehi - who worked for three years at the Afghan bank -  at least nine people are believed to be involved in the case.

Azizi chief executive Inayatullah Fazli alleged: 'They are a mafia group.'

An Interpol red notice - the equivalent of an international arrest warrant - describes authorities as seeking Salehi on charges of fraud and misusing her authority.

Afghan officials believe Salehi used fake documents under the name Samira to reach India after transferring the money; her current whereabouts are unknown.

Two suspects in the case have been detained in Dubai, senior Afghan police official Gen. Aminullah Amarkhail said, adding that he's in touch with counterparts in Dubai and India for help tracking down Salehi and other suspects.

These revelations are another embarrassment for the banking sector in the country, which has seen corruption already unravel one major institution amid ongoing security threats from militants and criminals.

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