CZAR TO LOOK INTO CLAIM GHANI FLED WITH MILLIONS

WASHINGTON The U.S. special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction will probe allegations that former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani took millions of dollars with him when he fled the country in August.

In a letter posted on Twitter last month, Ghani, pictured, said he left hours after the Taliban entered Kabul on Aug. 15 to prevent bloodshed. He denied reports he escaped with over US$150 million in cash belonging to the Afghan people, calling them “completely and categorically false.”

But speculation persists and John F. Sopko said in testimony before Congress on Wednesday that his office was examining the allegations at the request of another congressional committee. “We haven’t proven that yet,” he added.

In August, the Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan told reporters that Ghani “stole $169 million from the state coffers,” according to The Associated Press. The diplomat, who said he would file an arrest request with Interpol, did not provide evidence.