Some residents of Samangan province claim that the local Taliban are engaging in corrupt practices by accepting bribes in exchange for employment in specialized institutions. Sources indicate that the Taliban, who control the Directorate of Public Health in Samangan province, have targeted 315 positions in various medical and service sectors, with local officials of the group allegedly facilitating the recruitment of employees through bribery. According to their allegations, even underage individuals affiliated with the Taliban have been appointed to administrative and professional positions. It is further claimed that certain leadership positions within the Directorate of Public Health in Samangan province have been sold for a bribe.
According to residents of Samangan, last week the Taliban reportedly conducted a seemingly competitive exam, hiring 315 individuals from among two thousand participants for various roles in the public health sector.
The claim suggests that the Taliban violated administrative reform policies during the examination process, hiring religious school students without biometrics and a shortlist, in contradiction to established procedures.
Furthermore, sources allege that Taliban officials in the public health sector have engaged in a monetary exchange for the final exam process in hiring individuals. According to them, Mawlawi Mohebullah Bahaduri, the head of the Directorate of Public Health, and Sayed Osman Hamidi, the head of the provincial hospital in Samangan, are reportedly relatives to each other, and 58 individuals connected to these two figures have been appointed to various positions.
Sources state that the Taliban official responsible for the provincial hospital in Samangan has claimed that the hospital has improved as a result of his efforts and that he should be rewarded by having individuals loyal to him appointed to key positions.
Local sources indicate that out of the 315 individuals hired, 33 of them are reportedly affiliated with Mawlawi Mohebullah Bahaduri, the head of the Directorate of Public Health for the Taliban in this province. According to the sources, 25 individuals, who are relatives and close associates of the head of the provincial hospital in Samangan, have been appointed to nursing and service roles.
Amidst these developments, Sayed Matiullah Maher, the nephew of the provincial hospital chief who has recently graduated, has been appointed as the executive manager of the provincial hospital.
Some exam participants claim, “Taliban members have taken the exam without the biometric process. A significant number of graduates from religious schools and individuals affiliated with the Taliban have been included in the process without going through the legal procedures. Moreover, the human resources officials of the Directorate of Public Health of the province, in exchange for bribes, have shortlisted the majority of the participants in the exam.”
Ahmad Farhad, a participant in the competitive exams conducted by the Taliban in Samangan province, asserts that, despite having a nursing degree, the Taliban have appointed individuals with affiliations to their group, overlooking their qualifications and educational backgrounds. He claims that the Taliban prioritized their members throughout the examination process and even provided them with cheats.
Samiullah, offering a parallel narrative, asserts that individuals linked to the Taliban have failed to submit the necessary documents, thereby bypassing the biometric process mandated by the Directorate of Administrative Reforms. According to him, these exams are symbolic, highlighting extensive corruption in the local administrations governed by the Taliban in Samangan province.
Some exam participants continue to allege that, before the exams commenced, questions were distributed to individuals associated with the Taliban. They assert that individuals below the legal age who are associated with the Taliban have also been recruited by the Taliban in these government positions.
According to a list received by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, one of these employees, who has claimed an educational qualification of “Fifteen Class,” is below the specified legal age.
On the other hand, credible sources report that Shahidullah, also known as Mullah Shahdullah, the administrative manager of Taliban’s Directorate of Public Health in Samangan, has allegedly taken bribes ranging from 3,500 to 7,000 Afghanis from 65 female participants who applied for nursing positions.
Still, some exam participants accuse Najibullah Sharifi, the human resources officer of the Taliban’s Directorate of Public Health for the province of accepting bribes. According to them, he has allegedly demanded 25,000 Afghanis from each individual for a successful application.
Female participants also accuse the Taliban’s human resources of bribery, stating that those who offered bribes were appointed to professional and specialized positions without considering their educational documents.
One female participant claims that the Taliban’s Directorate of Public Health in this province asked her for almonds and cash to secure a position in one of the competitive roles.
Documents obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily reveal that all members of the Taliban’s examination committee are affiliated with the group. Karimdad Parsa, Sayed Osman Hamidi, Mawlawi Jan Mohammad Mohammadi, Mawlawi Nematullah Rohani, Shafieullah Mantiqi, Abdul Wadood Daneshfar, and Mullah Samaruddin are members of the Taliban’s examination committee in the province of Samangan.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that the Taliban intelligence is investigating the corruption case within the Directorate of Public Health of this province.
Residents of Samangan province assert that the Taliban should not compromise specialized and professional positions based on personal or group preferences, nor should they engage in transactions involving money in exchange for such important positions.
It is noteworthy that Mawlawi Faiz Mohammad Rohani, the former mayor under the Taliban for Samangan, Mullah Abdul Rahman Rahmani, the former head of the Directorate of Labor and Social Affairs, and Qari Badr, the Taliban’s security commander for Samangan, are local figures associated with the group who are accused of favoritism and administrative nepotism.
