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Politician central to US push in Kandahar faced corruption allegations
Before he became America's best hope for reforming Kandahar's cutthroat political system, provincial governor Tooryalai Wesa was fired from his job with a U.S. government contractor over allegations of mismanagement and corruption, according to officials familiar with his tenure.
Wesa's 10 months with Bethesda-based contractor DAI ended in July 2007 with accusations that he had used his position as a field coordinator to benefit his tribe and family, former colleagues said. In the context of Afghan corruption, which is pervasive and often involves government officials siphoning off huge sums of money, the allegations were minor. But the questions about his integrity and management abilities were serious enough that they cost him his job, the officials said.
Now Wesa stands at the center of U.S. efforts to build a credible government in Kandahar as 10,000 American troops arrive to bolster his administration.