Two Afghan ministers suspected of embezzlement

KABUL (Reuters) - Two Afghan cabinet ministers are being investigated under suspicion of embezzlement, a deputy attorney general said on Monday, at a time when President Hamid Karzai faces tough Western pressure to clean up his government.
The US embassy said Washington would be watching Karzais steps against corruption very closely.
Deputy Attorney General Fazel Ahmad Faqiryar declined to name the two ministers that were targets of the probe. He said other officials were also being investigated.
If the ministers insist and dont show up for the interrogation, we have other legal means with which to proceed, said Faqiryar, adding that they could be suspended from their posts or arrested.
Faqiryar later told Reuters 15 former and current cabinet ministers who served under Karzai since 2001 were suspected of corruption, adding that some of them had fled Afghanistan.
Whenever they are ready for interrogation and we prove the accusations against them, then we will send their documents to the court, Faqiryar said.
Karzai, sworn in last week for a second five-year term after an election marred by fraud, has been under pressure by his Western backers to tackle widespread corruption.
He is due to name his slate of cabinet ministers in coming weeks, and there has been widespread speculation as to whether ministers would be dropped or prosecuted for corruption.
He said officials at the Religious Affairs ministry were among those being investigated, but would not say if they included the minister, Sadiq Chakari. Chakari confirmed on Sunday that two officials from his ministry were under investigation but denied that he was among those accused.