Qayoumi (left) and Ghani (right)
Michael Hughes: A potential scandal involving a foundation Afghan President Ashraf Ghani established in the United States could affect voter sentiment during the likely presidential run-off. However, many questions remain open to determine whether the allegations amount to true corruption or run-of-the-mill conflict of interests.
On Sunday, October 13, Tolo News reported that The Institute for State Effectiveness, an American research organization that Ghani co-founded in Washington decades ago, has reaped significant profits in recent years including via Afghan government contracts.
What makes things look even worse for Ghani is that his current finance chief, Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi, received a healthy salary from the group while he was acting as a presidential adviser a few years ago.