Izzatullah Wasifi
Ezatullah Wasifi | |
---|---|
Governor of Farah, Afghanistan | |
In office March 2005 – August 2006 | |
Preceded by | Asadullah Falah |
Succeeded by | Abdul Ahmad Stanikzai |
Personal details | |
Born | 15-7-1958 |
Izzatullah (Ezatullah, Ezzatullah) Wasifi (b. politician in Afghanistan. He served as the chief of General Independent Administration of Anti Corruption since January 2007.[1][2][3] As anti-corruption chief Wasifi leads an 84-person staff. Part of their responsibility is addressing Afghanistan's problems with opium.
July 15, 1958) is aEarly life
Wasifi is reported to have been a childhood friend of the
Life in the United States
Wasifi's family left Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion in 1979.[2] They lived in Pakistan for a short time and around 1983 immigrated to the United States. Wasifi's first job in there was working as a waiter in a restaurant in Maryland, which happens to be owned by Qayum Karzai, Hamid Karzai's brother.
Drug conviction
Wasifi served three years and eight months in a prison after a drug conviction in
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."[2] 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.[1] His ex-wife, Fereshteh Behbahani, who now works for California Environmental Protection Agency [1] and lives in Los Angeles, was sentenced to three years' probation.[1]
Wasifi acknowledged that he was arrested on July 15, 1987, his 29th birthday.[2] 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
"Even George Bush has a record. He was arrested, same shit as me. There’s no difference between him and me."
The appeal Wasifi filed with the
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.[2]
Governor of Farah Province
Karzai appointed Wasifi the Governor of Farah Province.[2] Accounts from Western officials generally agree that his leadership was ineffective. He made no real efforts to control Afghanistan's poppy harvest in his province.
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
- ^ a b c Matthew Pennington (2007-03-09). "Afghan official was a heroin trafficker". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Matthew Pennington (March 9, 2007). "Afghan anti-corruption chief is a convicted heroin trafficker". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ "Afghan anti-corruption chief a convicted U.S. felon". International Herald Tribune. March 11, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
- ^ Justin Huggler (10 March 2007). "Afghan anti-corruption chief is drug dealer". The Independent. Archived from the original on 22 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
- ^ "Afghanistan's anti-corruption chief once sold heroin in Las Vegas". Wordpress. 2007-08-29. Retrieved 2007-12-27.