The former speaker of Afghanistan’s republic-era Wolesi Jirga (the lower house of parliament), Mir Rahman Rahmani, and his son Ajmal Rahmani, also a former member of the Wolesi Jirga, rejected accusations of financial corruption, in response to the announcement of the imposition of sanctions by the United States Department of the Treasury.
In a press release that was published by Rahmani, these accusations were called untrue and against international law.
In the press release, the judicial department of the United States of America was asked to clarify this issue for the people of Afghanistan.
The press release of Rahmani said: “On 12/12/2023, the Treasury Department of the United States of America published a report containing false information regarding U.S. contracts in Afghanistan and accusations of our administrative corruption. We categorically deny these corruption allegations. However, out of respect for our people, it is necessary to inform the people of Afghanistan and the world that such baseless accusations are contrary to international standards and United Nations conventions.”
Meanwhile, Karen Decker, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, accused Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son Ajmal Rahmani of stealing millions of dollars.
Karen Decker, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan said: “The Rahmanis stole millions of dollars meant to support the Afghan security forces. Uncovered by US Treasury & SIGAR, this massive fraud scheme robbed both the U.S. and Afghanistan.”
“If the Americans were not aware of this corruption, it is the stupidity of their intelligence; If they do not announce this, it means that it is a project under a new name for Afghanistan to manage the creation of gaps so that Afghanistan does not reach a political consensus,” said Mohammad Zulmai Afghanyar, an international relations analyst.
“Rahmani is not to blame here, not only them, but the majority of the high-ranking officials of the republic were involved in administrative corruption … and embezzlement, America understands this and Afghans also know this,” said Aziz Maarej, an international relations analyst.
At the same time, the Islamic Emirate refers to the aid given to the country in the past twenty years by some countries as support for the war in Afghanistan.
Zabihullah Mujahid said: “There was aid that came to Afghanistan through the countries that were at war, it was used for war, it was used for genocide, the money did not go anywhere, or mostly it was corrupted and then it went outside the country.”
Earlier, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Mir Rahman Rahmani and his son, Ajmal Rahmani with the allegation of corruption.
According to the US Treasury, these sanctions include the freezing of Rahmani’s assets in 44 countries.
