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Republicans demand return of $169mn in aid money allegedly
embezzled by ousted Afghan President Ghani
25 Aug, 2021 03:01
December 7, 2015. © REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have called on the attorney general to investigate reports that Afghanistan’s ousted US-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled his country with a vast sum of stolen US aid dollars.
In letters to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, ranking Republican members of the House Committees on Oversight and Reform and the Subcommittee on National Security urged the Biden administration to do “everything in its power to seize any illicitly gained funds that were corruptly embezzled by President Ghani.”
Representatives James Comer (R-Kentucky) and Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin) referred to a report by the BBC, citing the Afghan ambassador to neighboring Tajikistan, that Ghani “escaped [Kabul] with bags full of $169 million” as the city was being overrun by advancing Taliban fighters.
Asking the State and Justice Departments to confirm whether Ghani indeed fled “with duffle bags of cash,” the lawmakers demanded to know what the government would do to seize the ill-gotten gains and bring the exiled politician to justice if the reports prove to hold water.
If true, this was not the dignified exit of a benevolent head of state, but that of a coward and grifter. The United States must do everything in its power to seize any illicitly gained funds that were corruptly embezzled by President Ghani
The lawmakers noted that solving the mystery was of particular importance since Ghani’s actions “likely” sped up the Taliban’s takeover of the country, resulting in the chaotic effort by the US and allies to evacuate stranded Americans and Afghan collaborators.
Rumors that Ghani departed from Kabul flush with American tax dollars began to swirl immediately after the fall of the city. Mere days after it was captured by the Taliban, a spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Kabul said that the Western-backed Afghan leader was forced to leave some of the money lying on the tarmac because it did not fit in the helicopter.
And what, do you suppose, happened to that money?
Ghani, who reemerged in the United Arab Emirates, later pushed back against the accusations, calling them “completely baseless.” Ghani insisted that he fled in a rush and was even forced to leave behind some confidential documents, as well as his main assets, in the hope of assuaging the Taliban and preventing a bloodbath.
Don’t invest in Ukraine, says Estonian president, warning corrupt courts
could see those sending money to Kiev lose their cash
25 Aug, 2021 15:47
Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has courted controversy in Ukraine, using an interview marking the anniversary of the country’s independence to slam its institutions and argue Kiev is not yet a dependable place for investment.
Speaking to local news outlet European Truth on Monday, after her attendance at the ‘Crimean Platform’ conference, the leader of the Baltic nation revealed that she “advises Estonians not to invest in Ukraine.” In her view, foreigners should “trade with Ukraine, but do not invest there” because “you may lose your investment” and be unable to recoup losses due to corruption and legal malpractice.
According to Kaljulaid, “we have already had cases when our people lost property here. And even after receiving an arbitration award in their favor, they were unable to regain their property.”
In order to turn around this situation, she said, “you need everyone who works, invests or pays into this country to be able to hope that the court system will deal with their case impartially in the event of a dispute [and] that the justice system is truly blind to the public status of the parties.”
“The economy will not grow until investors feel that they will be treated fairly,” the Estonian leader added, “and your people will not feel protected, small businesses will be limited in development.”
However, in an effort to avoid offending her hosts, Kaljulaid said that she would like “to emphasize that I appreciate what Ukraine has achieved. I understand that it is not easy to carry out economic reforms and wage war at the same time, and I applaud it. But you still have a lot left to do,” she concluded.
In addition, the head of the EU nation said that Brussels was unlikely to welcome Ukraine into the bloc until those changes are implemented. Asked about the prospects for Kiev’s long-standing application, she said that “first you must build your own economy, democracy and free society – only then can you even start asking about it. But until that’s done, you can’t even ask that question.”
Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raged at suggestions from US President Joe Biden that the country would have to “clean up corruption” before it would be accepted into the NATO military bloc.
“It’s very popular to accuse Ukraine of corruption, and it’s not that I hold these views only since I became president, but I’ve always felt offended by this,” Zelensky told reporters. “Because you know what? No country is free of corruption.”
And he is right! However, some countries actually try to remove corruption. Canada, unfortunately, under a Liberal government, doesn't seem to be one of them.
Austria’s former Vice-Chancellor Strache maintains his innocence
after court finds him guilty of corruption over ‘Ibiza affair’
27 Aug, 2021 13:12
Austria's former Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and Walter Grubmuller, operator of the Wahring private clinic,
wait for the trial session to begin at a court in Vienna, Austria, August 23, 2021.© Reuters / Georges Schneider
Former Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache was convicted of corruption and handed a 15-month suspended sentence on Friday over an illegal €10,000 ($11,760) donation to his party, dubbed the ‘Ibiza affair’.
The conviction marks the end of the first criminal trial against the former senior politician. A number of investigations were launched into Strache after a secretly recorded video appeared to show him offering political favors to a woman who was posing as a wealthy donor.
Strache was on trial alongside private clinic owner Walter Grubmuller, who was accused of making an illegal €10,000 donation to the Freedom Party in what prosecutors claimed was an attempt to secure a change in the law that would benefit his clinic by allowing it to charge medical treatments directly to the country’s public health insurance fund.
The law change occurred in 2018, although Strache stated in court that the legislative action was not influenced by donations but because the clinic was previously treated unfairly by the Austrian government. Grubmuller was also convicted over the donation and handed a year’s suspended sentence.
The ‘Ibiza affair’ relates to the 2017 video sting that captured Strache and another member of his Freedom Party hinting at an illegal system by which political favors were granted in return for donations. Strache has rejected this is what happened, claiming the sting was a “honey trap stage-managed by intelligence agencies” and recorded while he was and possibly drugged.
When the footage was released to the media in 2019, it brought down the coalition government in Austria, forcing snap elections to be held and resulting in a number of corruption enquiries being launched into Strache and the Freedom Party.
French justice minister under formal investigation over
allegations he used his position to settle old scores
16 Jul, 2021 14:29
discussions over a bill for the prevention of acts of terrorism at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France,
(FILE PHOTO) © REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo
France’s justice minister has been formally placed under investigation following claims he abused his position in the government to settle scores with magistrates with whom he had trouble when he was a practicing lawyer.
On Friday, lawyers for Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti told reporters that their client is the subject of a formal investigation. Olivier Cousi, one of his legal team, told BFM TV that Dupond-Moretti saw no reason to resign from his ministerial position despite the official inquiry.
Dupond-Moretti was present in court and was reportedly questioned for hours by the Cour de Justice de La République – a special court that deals with complaints against serving ministers – on Friday. It is the first time that a so-called ‘Garde des Sceaux’ (Keeper of the Seals) has been questioned by the special court, according to French media.
In France, being put under formal investigation suggests there is “serious or consistent evidence” involving the suspect, but it is not the same as being charged with particular offenses.
The court launched an investigation in January, following complaints filed by an anti-corruption group and three legal unions against Dupond-Moretti.
The minister has been accused of a conflict of interest and of using his political position to settle old scores with lawyers and judges – claims he disputes. Instead, he says, the complaints are an attempt to foil his efforts to reform the French justice system.
Dupond-Moretti’s lawyers said they intend to challenge the decision to put the minister under investigation.
Is Dupond-Moretti guilty of corruption, or is this an attempt to stop him from cleaning up a corrupt system? Let's hope and pray that the truth is revealed.
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