NCL Security Response to the Afghan Government's Bridging Strategy for Implementation of Presidential Decree 62

MCLEAN, Va., March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NCL Security has learned from the Afghan Government's March 15, 2011 "Bridging Strategy for Implementation of Presidential Decree 62" that it is among a series of private security companies whose licenses are to be discontinued within 90 days from a date yet to be specified "because of having ties with the GIRoA" (the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan). While NCL Security keenly supports the anti-corruption policies which it understood to be the underlying intent of Presidential Decree 62, it strongly disputes the implication that Afghans whose family members serve in government should be banned from engaging in legitimate business activities that are essential to securing and stabilizing Afghanistan.

NCL Security is a strategic partner of NCL Holdings, a global logistics and professional service provider founded and chaired by Mr. Hamed Wardak, the son of Afghanistan Defense Minister General Rahim Wardak. However, neither General Wardak nor any Afghan Government official has ever played any role whatsoever in the operations of the company, nor held any ownership stake in the company, nor had the ability to influence the awarding of contracts by the United States Government, the only client of NCL Security.

"The basic freedom of all Afghans to engage in commercial activities for the benefit of themselves, their Afghan employees and their country is threatened by this poorly crafted and ill-considered implementation strategy. The idea that, simply because Afghans have family members serving their government, they should be denied the opportunity to participate in securing their country and helping to build a stable and modern economy is an irrational policy, and one that is in direct violation of the Afghan Constitution," said Hamed Wardak, Chairman of NCL Holdings. "Where there is corrupt influence, ownership by government officials or illegal activity by private security firms, the GIRoA owes the people of Afghanistan a rational and transparent program to identify and prosecute those activities."  

Mr. Wardak continued, "The bridging strategy does not accomplish that goal. Rather, and perhaps unintentionally, it disenfranchises honest and law abiding business people from supporting essential security functions of the International Security Assistance Force simply because of their family name."   Mr. Wardak called for the Parliament and the Ministry of Interior's review of the proposed decree to clarify that family ties alone are not a rational basis for discontinuation of a security license by the GIRoA.

The office of Afghan Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim has issued an order postponing the implementation of Decree 62 until the Afghan Parliament has had a chance to rule on it. The Parliament has summoned the Minister of Interior, Bismullah Khan Mohammadi, for a first hearing on this matter on Saturday, March 19.

The facts:

• NCL Holdings owns two entities within Afghanistan: NCL Construction and NCL Logistics. NCL Security is an independent company that is separately licensed and whose officers do not include Mr. Wardak.
• NCL Security is a legally registered and licensed entity that is in complete compliance with all laws and regulations for Afghanistan and US government Private Security Companies operating in the region.
• NCL Security has zero deficiencies or violations as determined by two audits recently conducted by the Government of Afghanistan.

SOURCE NCL Security