Afghan bankers accused in fake check scheme

Nine employees of Afghanistan's Central Bank and of a troubled private bank have been accused of stealing $1.5 million through a fake check scheme, officials said Monday. The suspects were arrested two weeks ago and have confessed, officials said. Two of those detained worked for Kabul Bank, the country's largest private
*bank, which nearly collapsed last year after a management shake-up and corruption scandal. The other seven suspects were employed at the Central Bank's branch in Khost, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of the capital Kabul. The suspects, including the director of the Khost branch, are accused of misappropriating 64 million Afghanis, or $1.5 million, and using the money for private ventures, including land deals, said Mubarez Zadran, a spokesman for the governor of Khost province. About 10 million Afghanis, or $232,400, have been recovered, Zadran said. The nine remain in jail as the investigation continues.