Izzatullah Wasifi

Izzatullah (Ezatullah, Ezzatullah) Wasifi (b. Birth date|1958|7|15) is the chief of Afghanistan's General Independent Administration of Anti Corruption. He was appointed to this position in January 2007.cite news
title=Afghan official was a heroin trafficker
url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/common/printerfriendlystory.aspx?articleID=070309_1_A4_hThef80155
publisher=Tulsa World
author=Matthew Pennington
date=2007-03-09
accessdate=2007-12-27] cite news
url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-03-09-afghan-corruption_N.htm
title=Afghan anti-corruption chief is a convicted heroin trafficker
publisher=USA Today
author=Matthew Pennington
date=March 9, 2007
accessdate=2008-02-18
quote=] cite news
url=http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?id=4870436
title=Afghan anti-corruption chief a convicted U.S. felon
publisher=International Herald Tribune
author=
date=March 11, 2007
accessdate=2008-02-18
quote=] As anti-corruption chief Wasifi leads an eighty-four person staff. Part of their responsibility is addressing Afghanistan's problems with opium.

Early life

Wasifi is reported to have been a childhood friend of the current Afghan President, Hamid Karzai.His father, Azizullah Wasifi, was the Minister of Agriculture under former king Mohammed Zahir Shah.Wasifi earned a degree from the Punjab Agricultural University.

Life in the United States

Wasifi's family left Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion in 1979.Hamid Karzai's brother gave him hist first job as a waiter in a hotel he owned in Maryland.

Drug conviction

Wasifi served three years and eight months in a U.S. prison after a drug conviction in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1987.cite news
title=Afghan anti-corruption chief is drug dealer
url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2344759.ece
publisher=The Independent
date=Saturday, 10 March 2007
author=Justin Huggler
accessdate=2007-12-27]

Wasifi acknowledged the conviction, but disputed the circumstances.

According to the "Associated Press" a: "...review of criminal records in Nevada and California revealed that the 48-year-old Wasifi was arrested at Caesars Palace on July 15, 1987, for selling 650 grams (23 ounces) of heroin." The "Associated Press" reported that he had tried to sell 650 grams of heroin to and undercover detective for $65,000.The drugs had a street value of US$2 million. His ex-wife, Fereshteh Behbahani, who now lives in Los Angeles, California was sentenced to three years' probation.

Wasifi acknowledged that he was arrested on July 15 1987, his 29th birthday.According to his account he and his wife were on their honeymoon. According to his account his wife had purchased some cocaine in the hotel bar -- an amount for personal use, and the pair were arrested when she returned to their hotel room.

Wasifi suggested that his drug use was a youthful indiscretion that should mar his later political career than the youthful drug use of United States President George W. Bush. [cite news
title=Afghanistan’s anti-corruption chief once sold heroin in Las Vegas
url=http://aftermathnews.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/afghanistans-anti-corruption-chief-once-sold-heroin-in-las-vegas/
publisher=Wordpress
date=2007-08-29
accessdate=2007-12-27]

The appeal Wasifi filed with the Parole Board offered a third account. In his appeal American drug enforcement officials agreed to release Wasif and Behbahani, without charge, if they lead them to higher-level drug dealers. "USA Today" reported:Wasifi told his Parole Board he could not find his original dealer and that he: "...did not know anyone in the drug underworld." He told his Parole Board he was unaware that he had been indicted in September 1987, two months after his initial arrest and release, and had not been attempting to flee when they were arrested for "unlawful flight" in March 1988.Wasifi and Behbahani were arrested for "unlawful flight".

Pizza Franchise owner

Between 1994 and 1999 Wasifi and his brother Bashir owned a franchise of Ameci Pizza & Pasta.

Return to Afghanistan

Wasifi returned to Afghanistan in 2001, following the Taliban's ouster.

Governor of Farah Province

Karzai appointed Wasifi the Governor of Farah Province.Accounts from Western and Afghan officials generally concurred that he had lead effective efforts to rebuild Afghanistan's infrastructure and control Afghanistan's illicit drug trade.

Appointment to head the General Independent Administration of Anti Corruption

Karzai appointed Wasifi to head the General Independent Administration of Anti Corruption in March 2007.The appointment raised some controversy, because of the twenty year old US drug conviction.

References

External links

* [http://www.giaac.gov.af/index.html GIAAC Afghanistan Anti Corruption Authority]