Local sources in Faryab report that Damullah Mohebbullah Mowaffaq, the Taliban-appointed mayor of Maimana, the capital city of the province, has been detained by the group’s intelligence agency on allegations of illegally selling government and private lands.
According to the sources, Mowaffaq was apprehended on Sunday, July 23, along with nine of his guards.
While the mayor’s guards were released after disarming, Damullah Mowaffaq himself remains in custody at the intelligence prison.
Based on information from the sources, over 160 Faryab residents have filed complaints against Mowaffaq at the Taliban’s intelligence office in the province, accusing him of land extortion and seizure.
Local Taliban officials in Faryab have refrained from making any official statements on the matter.
Mullah Mohammad Movaffaq was one of the Taliban commanders who, upon the group’s return to power, received the appointment as the mayor of Maimana, acknowledging his military service.
It is worth noting that recently, Sayed Idris Hashemi, the director-general of municipal properties in Maimana, was also arrested by the Taliban’s intelligence agency for alleged involvement in financial corruption.
Meanwhile, Mawlawi Rayhan, the former mayor of the Taliban in Ebak city, the center of Samangan Province, was dismissed on charges of misusing buildings in the second and third districts of the city. However, several months have elapsed, and he has yet to be held accountable for his actions.
