Helicopter full of cash? Ex-Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani says there was no time to even wear shoes

Afghanistan’s ex-President Ashraf Ghani, who left Kabul in the wake of an imminent Taliban attack, has released his first video address to the war-torn country since the power shift. His sudden departure resulted in the surrender of the government and confirmed Taliban's victory.

While his whereabouts have been unconfirmed since August 15, Ghani stated in the video that he is in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a video posted on Facebook on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, Ghani explained his reasons for suddenly fleeing from his Presidential Palace instead of putting up a fight against the Taliban.

Ghani said that leaving the country was the only way to prevent bloodshed, and that the Taliban’s victory was due to the “failure of the peace process”. The former president thanked the Afghanistan forces for their service.

Ghani also refuted widely covered claims that he fled the country with a helicopter full of cash and cars among other luxuries. As per one Afghan diplomat, the erstwhile leader had allegedly taken $169 million from government funds when he fled.

Ghani elaborated on his escape saying that he was forced to leave his Presidential Palace in Kabul in “one set of traditional clothes, a vest and the sandals” he had been wearing at the time. He said that the evacuation was such that he couldn’t even put on his shoes.

He further went on to deny recent allegations that money has been transferred to him, calling the claims “baseless”.

He asserted to his countrymen that they shouldn’t believe anyone who tells them that their president fled to save his life and sold them out.

Using the term “expelled” instead of “fled”, Ghani said that if he had stayed, the Afghan people would have seen an elected president hanged in front of their eyes.

The UAE has welcomed Ashraf Ghani and is hosting the former president on “humanitarian grounds”.