Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who is staying in the United Arab Emirates, delivers a public address on Facebook on the 18th. AFP Yonhap News
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, 72, who fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has appeared for the first time since his flight. He dismissed the claim that he fled with a large sum of money, and explained that he had escaped execution by the Taliban.
In a video posted on Facebook on the 18th (local time), President Ghani calmly read the manuscript prepared for about 9 minutes in a place with the Afghan flag in the background, wearing a white shirt and a black vest.
He said, “While I was at the Presidential Palace on the 15th, I received a report from a security officer that the Taliban had entered Kabul,” he said. “I had no choice but to leave Kabul to prevent bloodshed. I am currently in the UAE.”
He dismissed it as “an unfounded claim and a lie” and emphasized, “When I arrived at the UAE airport, I was empty-handed.” “Do not believe that the president sold the people and fled for his own life and profit,” he said. “There is no basis for such accusations.”
“I was expelled from Afghanistan without time to take off my slippers and put on my boots,” he said. “We are discussing a return home so that we can continue our efforts for justice in Afghanistan,” he said.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day that it had welcomed President Ghani and his family on a humanitarian basis. President Ghani hastily fled overseas with his family on the 15th just before the Taliban took control of Kabul. An official from the Russian embassy in Afghanistan said, “When the government collapsed, President Ghani escaped with four cars full of money.” reported that
Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad Zahir Agbar held a press conference and said, “President Ghani was in possession of $169 million when he fled. do,” he said.
Jiwon Kang reporter stylo@hankookilbo.com
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