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Kabul Bank is a commercial bank in Afghanistan that has its main branch in the capital of Kabul. Established in 2004, it is the main bank used to pay the salaries of the army and security forces. The bank provides facilities to maintain accounts in Current, Savings Bank and Fixed Deposits; and offers its consumers branch and automated teller machine services. The bank is under the supervision of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the central bank of Afghanistan. Kabul Bank was badly shaken and almost collapsed in one of "the worst banking scandals in history," according to ''The Guardian'' newspaper.〔Boone, Jon, The Guardian (15 November 2011), (United Kingdom), "Afghan finance minister admits doubts over Kabul Bank's missing $1billion: Omar Zakhiwal pledges to prove sceptics wrong as IMF backs asset recovery scheme after 18-month dispute" http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/15/afghan-bank-missing-billion〕 In late 2012, according to the ''Los Angeles Times'', independent investigators and journalists uncovered widespread corruption in Kabul Bank.〔Zucchino, David, Los Angeles Times, (28 November 2012) "Report cites extensive corruption involving Afghan bank"http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/28/world/la-fg-wn-kabul-bank-corruption-report-20121128〕 ''The New York Times'', in 2012, headlines indicate "Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as ‘Ponzi Scheme’" following investigation and judicial action in the aftermath of the Bank's crisis and scandal.〔Rosenberg, Matthem, New York Times, (26 November 2012) "Audit Says Kabul Bank Began as ‘Ponzi Scheme’" https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/world/asia/kabul-bank-audit-details-extent-of-fraud.html?pagewanted=all〕 In 2010, it was disclosed that its Chairman Sherkhan Farnood and other insiders were spending the bank's US$1 billion for their own personal lavish style living and lending money under the table to family, relatives and friends. The bank scandal also involved members of Afghan President Karzai's family, including one of his brother, Mahmood Karzai. In September 2010, one of the principal owners of the bank, said that depositors had withdrawn $180 million in two days and predicted a "revolution" in the country's financial system unless the Afghan government and the United States moved quickly to help stabilize the bank.〔 〕 In November 2010, reports appeared that Farnood and chief executive Khalilullah Frozi both had been sacked from duties; as of early 2011 both were effectively under house arrest and could not leave the country, and in July 2011 both were formally arrested and detained in Kabul. DAB stated in February 2011, it would seek to sell Kabul Bank within three years once it was rehabilitated, but both the International Monetary Fund and US officials subsequently pressed for a rapid wind down of the institution.〔 A USAID inspector general report estimated that fraudulent loans diverted $850 million to bank insiders.〔 By October 2011, more than a year after the government seized control, officials had recovered less than 10 percent of the nearly $1 billion that went missing. ==History== In 2010, there was a run on the Kabul Bank; Despite nearly $1 billion in U.S. taxpayers' funded assistance in the form of Afghan government salaries deposited into Kabul Bank. Kabul Bank was on the brink of collapse and mobs of customers massed outside of Bank locations trying to get their deposits out of the bank with limited luck.〔Riechmann, Deb and Faiez, Rahim, Associated Press ( September 2010 "Kabul Bank braces for run on deposits after doubts" http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A1-D9HVIO4G2.html〕 Kabul Bank claims that accounts can be opened and maintained in afghani, U.S. dollars and euro. Kabul Bank claims that it is connected throughout the globe with SWIFT facility, which enables fund transfer for its customers. The bank has correspondent relationship with seven international banks situated in Germany, China, Iran, Tajikistan, Saudi Arabia and India. Despite Kabul Bank's near collapse in 2010 during the corruption allegations, Kabul Bank claims it is significant to Afghanistan's internal security and stability because it is the vehicle used to pay, largely with money supplied by the United States government, as many as 300,000 Afghan government employees, mostly military and police, who are key to plans to rebuild Afghanistan's capacity to deal with its ongoing Taliban-led insurgency.〔 President Karzai's brother, Mahmood Karzai, is reported to have played a significant role in the back scandal, and is alleged to have received millions of dollars in loans from Kabul Bank. He was later alleged to be under investigation by a U.S. Federal Grand Jury and U.S. tax authorities, including the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for tax evasion allegations. Canada's ''Maclean's'' magazine reported that Mahmoud Karzai was being investigated for racketeering. extortion and tax evasion as a result of connections to the Bank and Hamid Karzai.〔〔Belluz, Julia, MaClean's (Canada), (7 March 2011), "Mahmoud Karzai being investigated for racketeering, extortion and tax evasion: Prime Minister Hamid Karzai’s older sibling may face charges in the U.S."http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/03/07/band-of-brothers/〕〔Spencer, Richard, The Telegraph, (8 September 2010) (United Kingdom) "Hamid Karzai's brother made £500,000 on Kabul Bank property deal: The brother of the Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a half-million pound profit in eight months on a luxury villa in Dubai bought with a loan from the bank at the centre of a financial and political crisis in Kabul." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7989594/Hamid-Karzais-brother-made-500000-on-Kabul-Bank-property-deal.html〕〔Higgins, Andrew, Financial Times (22 February 2010) "Banker feeds crony capitalism in Afghanistan" www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c73eeaf2-1f85-11df-8975-00144feab49a.html〕〔Imbert, Louise,(11 November 2011), Le Monde Diplomatique (France - English Edition), "Hushed up scandal of the Kabul Bank The Afghan banking crisis" http://mondediplo.com/2011/11/11kabulbank〕〔Risen, James, New York Times, (3 June 2012), "Intrigue in Karzai Family as an Afghan Era Closes" https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/world/asia/karzai-family-moves-to-protect-its-privilege.html?pagewanted=all〕〔Wall Street Journal,(16 February 2011), "Grand Jury Investigates Karzai Brother U.S. Federal Probe Risks Worsening Relations With the Afghan President; Mahmood Karzai Hires a Washington Lawyer"〕〔Higgins, Andrew & Markon, Jerry, (14 October 2010) Washington Post, "Karzai's brother might be indicted for evading U.S. taxes" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/14/AR2010101407927.html〕 * During the bank scandal and panic in September 2010, hundreds of Afghans, including many civil servants and their families, gathered outside Kabul Bank offices in the capital and elsewhere in Afghanistan. Long lines formed of depositors hoping to withdrawal some or all of their money. Afghan police beat back mobs at the Kabul Bank worried their money would be lost according to the ''Washington Post''. Panic set in among many depositors according to reports by the ''New York Times''.〔Filkins, Dexter, ''New York Times'' (2 September 2010) "Depositors Panic Over Bank Crisis in Afghanistan"http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/world/asia/03kabul.html?_r=0〕 * On December 27, 2010, a suicide car bomber killed at least three Afghans, including one policeman, as he targeted police officers who lined up to withdraw their salaries in front of Kabul Bank in central Kandahar; the midday explosion also wounded 16 policemen and five civilians, officials said. * On February 19, 2011, at least 38 people (including 13 policemen) were killed during an insurgent raid on a branch of Kabul Bank in Jalalabad, the provincial capital of Nangarhar, and at least three militants were killed, officials said. Three suicide bombers reportedly entered the bank and detonated themselves, and fighting between insurgents and security forces continued for over four hours; President Hamid Karzai and a NATO International Security Assistance Force spokesman condemned the attack, which was the deadliest in the country since June 2010. In its review of the Kabul Bank scandal and its aftermath, international non-governmental organization (NGO) Transparency International has raised repeated concerns about problems of corruption in Afghanistan and its impact on the economy, business investment, security and civil society.〔Gutcher, Lianne, The Guardian (UK) (19 July 2011) "Afghanistan's anti-corruption efforts thwarted at every turn: Afghans now pay double the bribes of two years ago and Hamid Karzai has gone out of his way to curb anti-corruption initiatives; Transparency International has raised concerns about the impact of corruption on the banking and financial sector in Afghanistan and its controversial links to the public sector and public officials." http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/19/afghanistan-anti-corruption-efforts-thwarted〕〔Bast, Andrew, Newsweek (2 August 2010)"Afghanistan Wants to See the Money" http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-232721485.html〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「New Kabul Bank」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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