President Gani: "The claim that I fled with cash is baseless and false"

▲Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Ashraf Ghani, the Afghan president who fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) even before the Islamic militant group Taliban took control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, stated in a national address that "if I had not left, a terrible disaster would have occurred."

He also denied allegations that he fled with a large amount of cash.

On the 18th (local time), President Ghani delivered a national address lasting about nine minutes through a Facebook Live broadcast.

President Ghani explained, "The Kabul situation escalated rapidly, and my security staff advised me to flee the current situation," adding, "As soon as I was forced to leave Kabul, many people entered the presidential palace and stared at me."

He continued, "I did not want a bloody incident to occur in Kabul like in Syria or Yemen," and "That is why I decided to leave Kabul."

He further explained, "If I had remained as the Afghan president, people would have been hanged," and "That would have been the most terrible disaster in our history."

President Ghani said, "I am not afraid of an honorable death, and I cannot accept tarnishing the honor of the Afghan people, but I had no choice," adding, "I was driven out of Afghanistan to avoid bloodshed and the destruction of Afghanistan."

Regarding the allegations that he fled with a large amount of cash, he dismissed them as "baseless lies."

He added, "I am currently in the UAE to avoid violence," and expressed his intention to return home, saying, "I am consulting with others to return to Afghanistan."

Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that President Ghani, whose whereabouts were unclear after his escape, is currently staying in the UAE, but did not disclose specific location or asylum status.

President Ghani fled after the Taliban captured Kabul on the 15th, leaving the presidential palace. The Russian Embassy in Kabul testified that at the time, President Ghani fled by helicopter with four vehicles loaded with cash, and that cash which could not be loaded was scattered on the runway, raising suspicions that he fled with a large amount of cash.

Mohammad Zahir Aghbar, the Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan, stated that the cash Ghani took amounted to $169 million (approximately 197.9 billion KRW) and requested Interpol to issue a warrant for embezzlement charges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.