Afghan evacuee arrested in sexual assault investigation in Wisconsin, US

Matiullah Matie, a former counsellor of Afghanistan Senate, has been arrested for sexual assault of a refugee's organization employee in Wisconsin state, media reports said.

Matie, 40, is known locally after serving as a sort of liaison between new Afghan arrivals and the local county in the state.

In a brief statement, Wausau police said a woman who was helping Matie with resettlement efforts reported being assaulted by him in a vehicle last week.

Matie was booked at the Marathon County Jail and released on a signature bond, The Washington Times reported.

According to Police, they are recommending a charge of fourth-degree sexual assault. He will have a court date in the next couple of weeks, police said.

Representative Tom Tiffany from Wisconsin had warned the non-government agencies working to settle Afghan evacuees in communities to be on the lookout for problems.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, which led to the collapse of the previous government and mass evacuations from the Kabul airport.

As crowds were amassed at the airport and the area was hit by terrorist attacks, the Taliban ordered that all foreign evacuations end. Later, evacuations resumed.

( With inputs from ANI )