FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — The soldier accused in the massacre of 16 Afghan civilians owes $1.5 million from a 2003 arbitration ruling that found him guilty of securities fraud.
The National Association of Securities Dealers found that Robert Bales, another man and his company “engaged in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, churning, unauthorized trading and unsuitable investments.”
Records show Gary Liebschner of Columbus, Ohio, filed the complaint in 2000, when Bales was a stockbroker.
The arbitration panel found Bales’ conduct “fraudulent and malicious.”
An Ohio TV station quotes Liebschner’s wife as saying they asked Bales to sell stock to pay medical bills but never received the proceeds.
About 1½ years after the complaint was filed, Bales enlisted — just two months after the Sept. 11 attacks. Bales hasn’t been charged in the Afghan killings.
Afghanistan’s vice president, meanwhile, says that any long-term military agreement with the United States will respect his nation’s sovereignty and will be based on the interests of both countries.
First Vice President Mohammad Qasim Fahim made the pledge on Tuesday in an address to Afghans.
Fahim also called on neighboring countries to recognize that stability in Afghanistan will benefit the entire region. Fahim is one of two vice presidents serving under President Hamid Karzai. — AP
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