Russian embassy: Afghan leader fled with cars full of cash

The Russian embassy in Kabul has alleged that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter stuffed with cash

MOSCOW -- The Russian embassy in Kabul alleged Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The report quoted embassy spokesman Nikita Ishchenko as saying that “the collapse of the regime ... is most eloquently characterized by how Ghani escaped from Afghanistan: four cars were filled with money, they tried to shove another part of the money into a helicopter, but not everything fit. And some of the money was left lying on the tarmac.” Asked by The Associated Press about how he knew the details of Ghani's departure, Ishchenko said “well, we are working here,” without offering any more details. The AP couldn’t independently verify his claims. Ghani left Kabul on Sunday as the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital. Media reports suggested that the president went to the neighboring Tajikistan or Uzbekistan, but there was no official confirmation of his whereabouts.