- Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has apologised for the sudden fall of his government but denied he had taken millions of dollars with him
- He says he followed the recommendations of his security team in fleeing Kabul
- Dr Ghani has also dismissed reports that he had left with millions of dollars in cash as “completely and categorically false”
- The statement largely echoed an earlier message, which drew scathing criticism from former allies who accused him of betrayal
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled Kabul as the Taliban reached the outskirts of the city last month, apologised on Wednesday for the sudden fall of his government but denied that he had taken millions of dollars with him.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Dr Ghani said he had left at the recommendation of his security team, who said that if he had stayed there was the risk of “the same horrific street-to-street fighting the city had suffered during the Civil War of the 1990s”.
“Leaving Kabul was the most difficult decision of my life, but I believed it was the only way to keep the guns silent and save Kabul and her 6 million citizens,” he said.
Statement 8 September 2021 pic.twitter.com/5yKXWIdLfM
— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) September 8, 2021
The statement largely echoed a message Dr Ghani sent from the United Arab Emirates immediately following his departure, which drew scathing criticism from former allies who accused him of betrayal.
Dr Ghani is a former World Bank official who became president after two disputed elections overshadowed by widespread allegations of fraud on both sides. He dismissed reports that he had left with millions of dollars in cash as “completely and categorically false”.
“Corruption is a plague that has crippled our country for decades and fighting corruption has been a central focus of my efforts as president,” he said.
He added that he and his Lebanese-born wife were “scrupulous in our personal finances”.
Dr Ghani also offered appreciation for the sacrifices Afghans had made over the past 40 years of fighting.
“It is with deep and profound regret that my own chapter ended in similar tragedy to my predecessors — without ensuring stability and prosperity. I apologise to the Afghan people that I could not make it end differently,” Dr Ghani said.