Ashraf Ghani denies leaving Afghanistan with illicit money, defends his democratic intentions

President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan abruptly on 15 August following the rapid advance of Taliban insurgents as international troops left the country and insurgents entered the Afghan capital to seize power. The Afghan president had been criticised from various quarters for fleeing, including accusations of allegedly leaving with large sums of money illicitly taken from the nation.

Now, Ghani has used the social network Twitter to publish an official statement in which he explains his departure from the country and in which he categorically denies having left the country with millions of dollars, as certain sectors have accused him of doing. He also emphasised his policy of pursuing a democratic Afghan path. 

"I owe an explanation to the Afghan people for abruptly leaving Kabul on 15 August after the unexpected entry of the Taliban into the city," Ghani began his official statement.

The former Afghan president went on to point out that he left the nation at the behest of security advisers, who warned of the risk of the same street-by-street fighting that Kabul 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 my guns quiet and save Kabul and its 6 million citizens," Ghani said. 

"I have worked devotedly for 20 years of my life to help the Afghan people work towards building a democratic, prosperous and sovereign state," said Ghani, who said it was never his intention to abandon the Afghan people.  

Ashraf Ghani said that this is the moment to outline the reasons for his departure from the country, although he will do so in more detail in the near future. What he did want to make very clear is that he did not leave Afghanistan taking millions of dollars with him. "These accusations are completely and categorically false," he said. Indeed, the Afghan politician said that fighting corruption has been one of the central focuses of his efforts as president. He defended himself by indicating that he inherited a "monster" that could not be easily or quickly defeated. 

"My wife and I have been scrupulous about our personal finances. I have publicly declared all my assets," Ghani remarked, inviting any financial audit or investigation, including under the auspices of the United Nations. 

Regarding his democratic struggle, Ashraf Ghani stated that throughout his life he has firmly believed in the formula of a democratic Republic as the only way to achieve a "sovereign, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan" and that he has adhered during his service to the 2004 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which provides "the platforms of dialogue where our differences can be managed through exchange and persuasion and where the acceptance of a common vision for the future can be defined and accepted".

Ghani concluded his official statement by offering his "deep appreciation and respect for the sacrifice of all Afghans, especially Afghan soldiers and their families, over the past 40 years".