Taliban deny reports of recovering $6.5 million, 18 gold bricks at former Afghan VP's home
Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban Cultural Commission, denied reports in an interview to Afghan daily Al-Itteza after a video went viral on social media which showed two suitcases stuffed with cash and gold bricks.
The Taliban have denied reports claiming that they found $6.5 million and 18 gold bricks during a raid at the residence of former Afghanistan vice-president Amrullah Saleh.
The clarification came after a video went viral on social media which showed two suitcases stuffed with cash and gold bricks, while two men whose faces cannot be seen properly are going through the stuff. The reports claim that the money and the gold were recovered from Saleh's residence during a raid by Taliban leaders.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban Cultural Commission, denied reports in an interview to Afghan daily Al-Itteza. The same video was also shared by an Afghan journalist named Tajuden Soroush. According to his Twitter bio, Soroush is a senior correspondent at Iran International television.
Earlier, the Taliban executed Amrullah Saleh's brother Rohullah, reportedly during fighting in Panjshir, a last holdout of the resistance forces.
The report of the death of Amrullah Saleh's brother Rohullah Azizi came on Friday amid reports of massive escalation between the Taliban and the Northern Resistance Front in Panjshir.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, leader of the Northern Resistance Force, are not yet known.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan last month after the US-supported government collapsed with the fall of Kabul. The Taliban, designated as the terrorist group by the US, captured the presidential palace on August 15.
On September 7, the Taliban unveiled their cabinet as the group formally announced their government after taking over Afghanistan in a lightning offensive last month. The "acting" government will be led by Mullah Mohammad Hassan, the little-known head of the Taliban’s leadership council, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced in a press conference in Kabul. Abdul Ghani Baradar, the face of the Islamist group, was named as his deputy.
The appointments also included Khairullah Khairkhwa who will be serving as the information minister of the country, Mullah Yaqoob as the defence minister and Amir Mutaqqi as the foreign minister.
There was no evidence of non-Taliban in the line-up, which has been a big demand of the international community. The group also made no mention of women as part of any governance structure.
