Status: 16.09.2021 3:49 p.m.
Millions of dollars, lots of gold: The Taliban have allegedly found a lot of valuable in the homes of ex-government members. For example, it is about ex-Vice President Saleh, who organizes military resistance.
In Afghanistan, the new leadership of the militant Islamist Taliban has confiscated more than twelve million US dollars (around 10.2 million euros) in the form of cash and gold bars, according to official figures. This was announced by the central bank in the capital Kabul. The money and gold were found in the homes of members of the previous government and former high-ranking officials. The former Vice President Amrullah Saleh was named by name.
A senior Taliban wrote on Twitter that Saleh had discovered more than six million US dollars in cash and 18 gold bars. The exact amount allegedly confiscated from Saleh’s house was not disclosed. The central bank is now controlled by the Taliban.
Accused builds up military resistance
The ex-vice president has not yet commented on this. His current whereabouts are unknown.
Saleh declared himself incumbent president last month after former President Ashraf Ghani fled. Since the Taliban came to power in mid-August, he has been building resistance in the Punjir province.
Ghani with millions of dollars on the way?
Previously, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to Tajikistan, Mohammed Sahir Agbar, claimed that Ghani took $ 169 million with him when he escaped. The ex-president rejected this.
According to media reports, the central bank also asked banks to freeze the accounts of former officials.
Talks about humanitarian crisis
Meanwhile, the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, spoke with the new Interior Minister Sirajuddin Hakkani about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Hakkani had given assurances that the work of UN personnel in Afghanistan would not be hindered, said a Taliban spokesman. According to the UN, Lyons emphasized that any threat or impairment of the unskilled workers must be prevented.
For years, Hakkani was considered one of the world’s most wanted Islamists. He heads the network of the same name founded by his father, which forms a subgroup of the Taliban and, according to US government circles, maintains links with the Islamist organization Al-Qaeda.
The US Federal Police FBI lists Hakkani as one of the most wanted people. A $ 10 million reward is available for information about his capture.