Afghanistan's Former Finance Minister Says “Ghost Soldiers” And Corrupt Government Officials Were Responsible For The Taliban's Ability To Quickly Seize Control If The Country

Khalid Payenda said that nearly 300,000 soldiers and police were invented by corrupt officials to fill government books so generals could pocket their wages. Facebook

Daily Mail: The Taliban easily conquered Afghanistan because corrupt officials INVENTED 'ghost soldiers' so they could pocket their wages - and most of their 300,000-strong army did not EXIST

* Ex-finance minister Khalid Payenda said officials added phantom personnel

* Some of these included 'desertions' and 'martyrs' who were not in the army

* They were added to official lists so generals could take their wages, he claimed

* He claimed some officials accepted their wages and payment from the Taliban Afghanistan's ex-finance minister has claimed the Taliban easily conquered the country because corrupt officials invented 'ghost soldiers' and took payment from the Islamist group.

Khalid Payenda said most of the 300,000-strong army and police officers did not exist and that generals added the phantom personnel to official lists so they could take their wages.

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Afghanistan's Former Finance Minister Says “Ghost Soldiers” And Corrupt Government Officials Were Responsible For The Taliban's Ability To Quickly Seize Control If The Country

Afghanistan's ghost soldiers undermined fight against Taliban - ex-official -- BBC

The Afghan military was made up of 'ghost' soldiers who didn't actually exist, and that's why it collapsed so rapidly: ex-finance minister -- Business Insider

Ex-Afghan finance minister Payenda blames ‘ghost soldiers’ for Taliban victory -- NYPost

‘Ghost soldiers’ to blame for Afghan government’s quick defeat – ex-minister -- RT