Exposure of Billion-Afghani Bribery Scandal in Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A well-informed source within Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that during the first year of Taliban rule, corruption and bribery in the ministry’s consular departments reached unprecedented levels.
According to the source, amid widespread chaos, fear, and mass migration, citizens were forced to pay money to obtain consular documents, effectively turning public services into financial transactions.
The source stated that by 2023, thousands of consular documents including ID verifications, document translations, identity confirmations, and marriage certificates had been issued in exchange for bribes.
In some cases, particularly for forged marriage certificates, fees reportedly reached up to USD 1,200. After the Taliban returned to power and a private company overseeing these processes was sidelined, the consular department itself took control, paving the way for a major financial scandal.
According to the source, despite these corruption reports being forwarded to senior Taliban officials, no serious investigation followed, and only limited dismissals took place without judicial accountability.
The source added that media silence, lack of oversight, and official immunity have allowed corruption, embezzlement, and abuse of authority not only to persist but to become entrenched within the Taliban’s governing structure.
