The Central Bank of Afghanistan reported today that Taliban fighters had handed over $ 12.3 million in cash and several gold bars recovered from the homes of former government officials, including former Vice President Amrullah Saleh.
“The money recovered came from high-ranking officials in the previous government (…) and a number of national security agencies who had cash and gold in their homes,” the statement said.
During the government of former President Ashraf Ghani, corruption was endemic and widespread. Millions of dollars received in country aid would have been diverted.
The former head of state himself is accused of taking millions of dollars when he fled to Abu Dhabi, which he has repeatedly denied.
The Taliban are investigating the bank accounts of former Afghan government officials ousted in search of possible illicit gains, two industry executives said on Tuesday.
This investigation could lead to the freezing of the assets and accounts of former officials, ministers and elected officials, a director of the Da Afghanistan Bank, the country’s central bank, who did not want to identify himself, told AFP.