The former president of Afghanistan apologized for fleeing the country on the same day the Taliban attacked the capital, saying that he never intended to “abandon the people”.
Ashraf Ghani recounted how he left Kabul on August 15 when he was urged by court security personnel to avoid the risk of terrible street fighting.
In a statement published on Twitter, he said: “Leaving Kabul was the hardest decision in my life, but I believe this is the only way to keep the gunfire and save Kabul and her 6 million citizens.
“I spent 20 years helping the Afghan people build a democratic, prosperous and sovereign country. I never intended to give up the people or that vision.”
He continued: “I apologize to the Afghan people, I can’t let it end in a different way.”
The 72-year-old Mr. Gani took this opportunity to resolve what he called “baseless allegations” that he took millions of dollars from the Treasury Department and called these allegations “completely and absolutely false.”
He said that Afghanistan has been devastated by the corrupt “plague” and that he “inherited a monster that cannot be easily or quickly defeated.”
Mohamed Zahir Agbar, who served as Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tajikistan, previously accused Mr. Ghani of stealing “US$169 million” from the treasury and demanded his arrest.
Mr. Gani denies these allegations and welcomes official audits or financial investigations under the auspices of the United Nations or any other independent agency to prove his claims.
“My wife and I have always been cautious about personal finances,” he continued on Twitter.
“I have publicly declared all of my assets. My wife’s family heritage has also been disclosed and it is still listed in her native Lebanon.”
The Panjshir Valley was the last place to resist the Taliban among the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
Located in the north of Kabul, the province was occupied by Islamic militias on September 3 after two weeks of fierce fighting with resistance groups.
