ROME, April 19 (Reuters) - The Afghan government said on Thursday it hoped an Italian aid group which pulled out of the country this month after one of its local employees was arrested would return to its "noble" mission of treating the sick.

The organisation, Emergency, withdrew in protest at the arrest of its employee Rahamtullah Hanafi, who had acted as a go-between with the Taliban helping to secure the release of kidnapped Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo in March.

In a statement, the Afghan embassy in Italy expressed Afghanistan's "sincere gratitude to Emergency and its staff for the noble and humanitarian services to sick and injured innocent victims, men, women and children".

The statement said Hanafi was being questioned in accordance with the law in a country which had "a real democracy and advanced constitution".

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Mr. Hanafi is under interrogation for not having respected the law," it said, without specifying any possible charges against the man who ran one of Emergency's Afghan hospitals.

Afghan intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh has been quoted in Italian media saying Hanafi had connections with the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Mastrogiacomo was released after Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi pressed President Hamid Karzai's government to free five jailed Taliban in exchange. Two Afghans who were working for Mastrogiacomo were killed.

Prodi has defended himself against criticisms at home and abroad for giving in to Taliban demands.

Emergency said its pull-out was due to Hanafi's arrest and Kabul's "defamatory" accusations against the charity.

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