Afghan Biographies

Kabir, Abdul Haji


Name Kabir, Abdul Haji
Ethnic backgr. Uzbek
Date of birth
Function/Grade Westland General Trading President Owner
History and Biodata

Westland General Trading President Owner:
Haji Abdul Kabir Bedil (2008))
Other Company Officials:
Ahmad Zia Azimi (20140828)

3. Biodata of Haji Abdul Kabir:
Haji Abdul Kabeer migrated from Bokhara in the 1990s and settled in the Aqcha district of Jawzjan. His brother, who chose Moscow as his destination, is now a political figure in the Russian Duma (Parliament). Haji Kabir has been active in the mining sector of Afghanistan for seven to eight years and has extracted chromite from Khost province in the past without clearing his dues.The company of which he was a partner was accused by the Customs Department of Khost province of illegal extraction and smuggling of chromite through Waziristan to Pakistan.

Sources privy to the matter said that Haji Abdul Kabir used to pressure the MoMP through MPs to allow him to extract without paying dues. Haji Abdul Kabir has admitted that Wahidullah Shahrani would ask him for bribes. Haji Kabir also used officials of the MoMP who were closely advising Shahrani, including a foreigner, to tempt the Minister, who reportedly succumbed to pressure and temptations often. Haji Kabir has also been using members of the Afghan Parliament to pressure the MoMP not to ask him for payments. In addition, Haji Abdul Kabir is employing the son of Mir Ahmad Qasimi, who is the head of the Provincial Mining Department. Mir Ahamd Qasimis son runs the company, while Haji Abdul Kabir can easily obtain signed documents needed to avoid legal hurdles.


Ministry of Mines and Petroleum in a statement said that has cancelled the contract for exploration of Nuraba gold mine in Chah Ab District of northern Takhar province. The contract had been signed with West Land General Trading (WLGT) Company on May 6, 2008. The exploration phase of the project was expected to cost 50 million Afghanis while the second phase of the mine utilization was to cost two billion Afghanis. The contract for the project was canceled following a report from the joint delegation for evaluation of the contract and decision of the National Procurement Commission (NPC) due to non-fulfillment of obligations mentioned in the agreement such as non-payment of debts. The NPC has directed the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Justice, MoMP and National Procurement Authority (NPA) to assess the debts issue of the company on legal grounds.(20190509)

Background:
Westland General Trading (WLGTC), owned by Haji Abdul Kabir Bedil Bedeil, an ethnic Uzbek, is developing the Nor Aaba gold mine (Nuraba and Semti gold mines) near the Tajik border in northern Takhar province. (20110111). The mine contract promises work, roads, schools and clinics to an impoverished area and eventually $4-5 million a year in tax revenues to the government. None of it has arrived and the locals in an otherwise peaceful area are unhappy. "The company must promise to hire people from this village who need jobs, otherwise we won't let anyone work on these mines," warned Maolavi Azimullah, imam of the village mosque. He and others said workers were being brought in from other areas to undercut wages, which were barely $100 a month, and loosen their hold on the mine. They also said the company had illegally started full-scale mining until blockaded. (20101128)
 

The contract for the Nuraba and Semti gold mines has been awarded on the basis of favoritism and in a non-transparent manner. The contractor has failed to pay taxes and adopt measures for protecting the environment, experts allege. The gold mines are located in the Chahab district of northern Takhar province. The contracts were issued to the West Land General Trading Company (WLGTC) based on a 2008 mining draft law passed by the Council of Ministers . (20140828) Javed Noorani , a mining expert, claimed the Nuraba and Semti mining contract inked between former minister Wahidullah Shahrani and WLGTC Chief Executive Abdul Kabir Bedil was largely based on their personal friendship. Ibrahim Jafari , a university lecturer and geologist, said: "Poor information about the background of this contract is a major problem because a mining contract is given as per law involving specific dates and numbers."  The volume of its investment, social services and other necessary information should be mentioned in the contract, he reasoned. He claimed contents of the documents had been changed. For example, the investment for exploration was put at 50 million afghanis first but the figure was later changed to 35 million afghanis when the contract was renewed. In addition, rules and regulations for mine exploration and environmental protection in the contract do not match.

More Background:
The Bedeil Company, a subsidiary of Westland General Trading LLC in Dubai, UAE, is located in Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan and has been in existence for more than 38 years. The company is diversified and offers petroleum products, fertilizer, tea and general trading items to both public and private Afghan consumers.

Bedeil Company Ltd.
Established: 1967
Sector: Agri-business
Contact Information:
Mr. Abdul Kabir
Mobile No. 00971-504554027
Tel. +971-043337055
Fax:+971-043337058
E-mail: westco@emirates.net.
 

Last Modified 2019-05-09
Established 2011-01-11