Afghan Companies Say U.S. Did Not Pay Them - nytimes

KABUL, Afghanistan — KABUL, Afghanistan — A number of Afghan construction companies working on contracts for American and NATO military bases in Afghanistan have accused American middlemen of reneging on payments for supplies and services, and in one case of leaving the country owing Afghan companies hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars.

In one case the official was familiar with, three Afghan businessmen said they had completed work for an American firm, Bennett-Fouch Associates LLC, of Michigan, but had not been paid. All of them and the official said they knew of other companies in the same position after doing work for the company.

One of the businessmen, Jalaluddin Saeed, said he was owed $1.5 million by Bennett-Fouch for four contracts to provide concrete barriers for American and NATO military bases last year. He said his life was now in danger and he had had to leave his home city of Kandahar and move his family to avoid his many angry creditors.

Two other smaller companies showed contracts and purchase orders signed by foreign employees of Bennett-Fouch for work last year for which they said they also had not been paid. .... - Afghan Companies Say U.S. Did Not Pay Them