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Afghan Presidentâ€™s brother accused of corruption and racketeering

27 September 2010 17:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorneyâ€™s Office for the Southern District of New York are probing one of Afghan President Hamid Karzaiâ€™s brothers, adding tension to a U.S.-Afghan relationship that has been complicated by U.S.-backed efforts to get a handle on rampant corruption in Afghanistan without undermining its central government.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Mahmood Karzai, a U.S. citizen, is under investigation for suspected tax evasion, racketeering and extortion.
In an interview with the WSJ, Mahmood Karzai denied any wrongdoing. His business interests and wealth were acquired legitimately and his sole interest is â€œrebuilding Afghanistan,â€ he said.
â€œHow many people do you think they have on me? Four, five, 10, 20?â€ Karzai asked. â€œThey wonâ€™t find anything. Iâ€™m just a businessman.â€