“No bounty announced for ex-president’s bodyguard’

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some foreign media outlets reported that the Afghan government has announced a bounty for detention of ex-president’s bodyguard who owns a video clip that shows a scene in which the president stole money.

Former Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani along with many other former officials left Afghanistan and escaped to UAE on August 15 when the Taliban took control of Kabul.

Some media outlets reported that the president took with him $169 million. However, Ghani had rejected the claims.

John Sopko, the US special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said on Wednesday his office would look into allegations that former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani took millions of dollars with him when he left the country.

A bodyguard of Ashraf Ghani, Gen. Atta Sharifi, in an interview with Daily Mail from an unknown location, said that he saw Ghani with millions of US dollars boarding a plane. He said that there were also video records of the scene.

The report added that Sharifi has 300 weapons with him now and the Islamic Emirate has announced a bounty if anyone provided information about Sharifi’s location.

However, Sharifi said that he will commit suicide if anyone finds him as the Taliban will also kill him if they captured him.

The report is also monitored by Afghanistan International TV and Dawn News newspaper of Pakistan.

An announcement of bounty is also circulating on social media that says the Afghan government would give a million US dollar in award if anyone provided information about the location of Sharifi.

The announcement is linked to Mulavi Hammasi at the bottom of the page.

However, Hammasi in a contact with Pajhwok Afghan News rejected the announcement and said that he had not made such an announcement.

Deputy information and culture minister, Ahmadullah Wasiq also rejected the announcement as baseless.

mds/ma