Afghan embassy urges Interpol to arrest Ghani for ‘stealing public wealth’

Former president ‘escaped with bags full of $169 million when Kabul was falling’

The Afghanistan embassy in Tajikistan has demanded Interpol police to arrest former president Ashraf Ghani and his aides who fled the country after the collapse of their government as the Taliban seized control of Kabul.

The Afghanistan embassy in Tajikistan has asked Interpol police to detain Ashraf Ghani, Hamdallah Mohib and Fazal Mahmood Fazli on charges of stealing public wealth so that funds could be returned to Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s Tolonews reported while quoting sources.

The Afghan embassy in Tajikistan has asked Interpol police to detain Ashraf Ghani, Hamdallah Mohib and Fazal Mahmood Fazli on charges of stealing public wealth, so that funds could be returned to #Afghanistan, sources said.

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 18, 2021

Russia's embassy in Kabul said on Monday that Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in, the RIA news agency reported.

"Four cars were full of money, they tried to stuff another part of the money into a helicopter, but not all of it fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac," Nikita Ishchenko, a spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Kabul, was quoted as saying by RIA.

Also read: Defiant Amrullah Saleh declares himself caretaker president of Afghanistan

Meanwhile, BBC journalist Kawoon Khamoosh has quoted the Afghanistan ambassador in Tajikistan as saying that “Ashraf Ghani escaped with bags full of 169 million US dollars when Kabul was falling”.

Afghan ambassador in Tajikistan says Ashraf Ghani escaped with bags full of 169 million US dollars when Kabul was falling.

— Kawoon Khamoosh (@KawoonKhamoosh) August 18, 2021

Ghani, whose current whereabouts are unknown, said he left Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban entered Kabul virtually unopposed. He said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.

Ghani's destination was uncertain: a senior Interior Ministry official said he had left for Tajikistan, while a Foreign Ministry official said his location was unknown and the Taliban said it was checking his whereabouts.

Some local social media users branded him a "coward" for leaving them in chaos.