Karzai Admits Cash Payments

The Karzai administration in Afghanistan has confirmed reports that they have been accepting cash donations from Iran amongst other countries but strongly denies links to corruption.

Last week the New York Times reported that Iran had been handing bags full of cash, largely denominated in Euros , to Karzai's aides for the past couple of years. The Times' journalists said that the money was used in order to buy influence in Kabul and to strengthen Iranian presence there. But President Hamid Karzai said that many countries, including the US, gave money in this way and it was all part of a "transparent" process.

Doubts remain however as to, transparent or not, this is a source of funding that should be endorsed. The whole process of handing over bags of cash, in Iran's case hundreds of thousands or millions of euro's once or twice every year, seems to be an effort to work outside the framework for aid that is in place for the government. As more and more about the story comes out it appears the main reason for doing so is that Karzai and his administration could then used the money for personal use rather than public.

The fact that there is corruption in Afghanistan probably comes as no surprise to anybody but the way it occurs and the source of the funding is another issue entirely.

Two Afghan Nominees for the International Media Awards

Hanif Hangam

Hanif Hangam is a writer and comedian who puts his life on the line with every show that is aired. He is most famous (or infamous) for his starring role in the prime-time weekly satire ‘Alarm Bell’, a show that lampoons Taliban rebels, warlords, UN diplomats, pilgrims to Mecca, and petrol pump attendants. Despite complaints and threats after every broadcast, the producers, and Hangam, maintain that ‘Alarm Bell’ is crucial for the political health of the country.

In 2006 Hangam was forced to flee Afghanistan after a film in which he starred, ‘Kabul Express’, cause offence to many in the country – particularly the Hazara community.

To see an Al-Jazeera report on the phenomenon of ‘Alarm Bell’:

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/asia/2010/09/201091723517107879.html

Saad Mohseni

Saad Mohseni is an Afghan-Australian, who along with his brothers Zaid and Jahid and sister Wajma, set up Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, in 2002. Prior to establishing Moby, Mr. Mohseni was the head of the equities and corporate finance division of an Australian investment bank.

Moby’s interests include Tolo TV, Afghanistan’s most-watched television channel. Tolo TV is best known in the West for ‘Afghan Star’; the series that followed the pop idol talent-show format, and gave many Afghans their first taste of democracy via a mobile-phone voting system.

Despite its relatively short lifespan, Moby Group has developed a reputation for quality productions which address issues facing ordinary Afghans, including The Kite Runner (in collaboration with Dreamworks and Paramount Vantage) and the drama series Raaz Hai En Khana (“The Secrets of This House”). These both explore issues of family, tradition and change within the context of contemporary Afghanistan. (Held from 2009)