ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (APP): Two ranking members of the US Committees on Oversight and Reforms and National Security have demanded of the US government to bring former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani to justice for allegedly self-dealing with the US funds, intended for the Afghan people.
Ghani had fled the country with enormous sums of cash totaling well over a hundred million dollars, James Comer and Glenn Grothman, two ranking members of committee on oversight and reform and subcommittee on National Security respectively, said in a letter address to Merrick B. Garland Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice.
“However, reports state that if true, this was not the dignified exit of a benevolent head of state, but that of a coward and grifter. The United States must do everything in its power to seize any illicitly gained funds that were corruptly embezzled by President Ghani. If he diverted funds from their intended purposes, the U.S. should bring him to justice,” they stressed.
The ousted president Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on August 15, precipitating the rapid collapse of the Afghan government in Kabul in the face of Taliban’s blitz.
“Not only did President Ghani flee Afghanistan prematurely and contributed to the rapid fall of the American-backed democratic government in Kabul, but he brought with him duffle bags full of cash totaling $169 million dollars,” they added.
The members said as per reports, Ghani had so much looted money with him that it could not fit in his helicopter, and that he was forced to leave money lying on the tarmac.
“It is unclear how (former) president Ghani obtained such a large sum of cash, but the amount and nature of his flight from Afghanistan raises the specter that he illegally and corruptly embezzled these funds from U.S. assistance intended for the Afghan people’s welfare and defense,” the members maintained.
In fact, they said, until recently, approximately 80% of Afghanistan’s total budget was funded by the United States and other international assistance, they say, adding if Ghani was embezzling funds from the government of Afghanistan, he was likely embezzling US taxpayer funds.
“US taxpayers have provided $145 billion to Afghanistan reconstruction efforts over the last 20 years in addition to $837 billion directly spent on warfighting. This includes $17.28 billion in “on-budget assistance to the government of Afghanistan,” of which Ghani was head since 2014. These amounts pale in comparison to the total cost of the Afghanistan war to the United States, which is estimated to be $2.26 trillion,” the contents of the letter said.
The members further said that such practice could not be permitted over the US taxpayer money. “This is particularly the case where President Ghani’s reckless and cowardly actions,” they added.
