Dubai: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday defended his decision to leave Kabul following the withdrawal of the Taliban in the country, saying it was the only way to stop the bloodshed. He also rejected claims by the Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan that he had stolen millions of dollars from the treasury.
Ghani posted a video on his Facebook page late Wednesday, confirming that he was in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In his message, he thanked Afghan security forces but said the Taliban snatched power due to a “failure of the peace process”. He also indirectly tried to refute allegations by Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tajikistan that he stole $169 million from the treasury.
He claimed that he had to leave Afghanistan in “a pair of traditional clothes and sandals that he was wearing.” “Allegations have been made these days that money was taken but these allegations are completely baseless,” Ghani said. Ghani left Afghanistan on Sunday after the Taliban entered Kabul.
