Hamid Karzai

KABUL, April 6 (News Agencies) - A former Afghan finance minister, who was sheltering a group of men accused of plotting to bomb the interim administration Saturday, denied any plot and insisted the detainees were not followers of ex-prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

"The people who have been arrested from my office and guest house are my friends, my servicemen and my guests," Sabaoon told reporters.

Interim administration officials have said around 260 people were detained in a series of raids earlier this week, reported Agence France-Press (AFP).

Sabaoon said more than 200 people had been arrested but had been released, including his nephew and secretary.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said earlier Saturday that the government had "undeniable" evidence that the group were planning a bombing campaign and that intelligence officers had seized "equipment and devices which would be used for terrorist activities."

But Sabaoon said he was unclear about the motive for the arrests.

"I think they [the police] have made a mistake. Maybe someone has wrongly informed them," he said.

Asked if he had seen or heard the detainees plotting against the government, Sabaoon answered: "Nothing, never."

Officials have said that those who were arrested were followers of Hekmatyar, leader of the fundamentalist Hezb-e-Islami party.

But Sabaoon, who was previously an ally of Hekmatyar but has since split from him, said followers of his former boss would not have been allowed to associate with him.

"No one is allowed to come to my guest house who is a friend of Hekmatyar."

Sabaoon said he had broken off relations with Hekmatyar after being unable to agree on how to deal with the new administration led by Hamid Karzai.

"Later we found it was impossible. He was firm on his stand and we wanted reforms."

Despite the series of arrests, Sabaoon denied he had fallen out with the Karzai regime.

"I do not think they count me as an enemy or hate me," he said.

"I have no secret plans, I accept the interim administration ... day and night I support the fortification of the interim administration.

"I have assured Mr. Karzai, I have assured Mr. Fahim (the defence minister). They are my friends."

Sabaoon was appointed finance minister in the Northern Alliance government that was formed immediately after the departure of the Taliban from Kabul in November. He was not given a post in the interim administration appointed the following month, reported AFP.

Hekmatyar's party represents the dominant Pashtun group in Afghanistan, whereas most of the senior members of the interim administration are ethnic Tajiks.

Most of the Tajiks belong to the Jamiat-i-Islami faction which was involved in a bitter conflict with Hezb-e-Islami during the Afghan civil war of the early 1990s.