Sources say that employees of the Afghanistan International Bank have grown weary of improper behavior by an individual affiliated with the Taliban at the bank. The sources add that Rahmatullah Mansour, an employee of the Sharia Inspection Department of the Afghanistan International Bank, has been humiliating and insulting staff members who were appointed during the previous government, by leveraging the position of his brother, who serves as the deputy supervisory head of the Banking Supervision Directorate at the central bank. According to the sources, he refers to employees as “Tomians” and has warned that the bank must be cleansed of their presence. Rahmatullah Mansour has said that in the presence of “Tomians and remnants of the republic,” Islamic banking is not possible at the bank and that it must be purged of them. A document also shows that Mansour considers himself bound by the “Sharia Governance Framework” of the central bank under Taliban control and warns that no individual, including members of management and the board of directors, has the authority to issue orders to him. He has emphasized that he will continue his activities at the bank independently.
The sources add that under the central bank law enforced under Taliban control, Rahmatullah Mansour is not permitted to work in the inspection section of the Afghanistan International Bank because his brother holds a supervisory position at the central bank, and this situation contradicts provisions of that law. According to the sources, contrary to the policies of the Afghanistan International Bank and the central bank, Rahmatullah Mansour was appointed to the bank without observing regulations and principles, and with the insistence of his brother, without passing an examination, and without possessing the required qualifications for the post. The sources also say that Rahmatullah Mansour was appointed to the Afghanistan International Bank through his brother about three years ago.
Sources say that Rahmatullah is a native resident of Jalalabad, the center of Nangarhar province, and considers all employees of the bank to be his “slaves.” He especially and repeatedly threatens Tajik employees, even those who hold higher positions than him. According to the sources, all employees are compelled to accept what he says; otherwise, they will face problems.
Rahmatullah Mansour has warned employees of the Afghanistan International Bank that they must no longer speak of laws that were drafted during the republic period at the bank. He has stressed that all laws of the previous government were annulled by order of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, and are not enforceable.
Sources say that Mansour stated, “Unfortunately, supporters of the republic are still seeing the same dreams.” He added, “I always say that with these Tomians and remnants of the republic, Islamic banking cannot be implemented. Purging is necessary.”
The sources emphasize that at the Afghanistan International Bank, Mansour considers himself the undeclared representative of the Taliban, particularly in the area of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice of this group. According to the sources, he told a female employee of the bank, “You consumed the salt of the republic; your reform is not possible. The Emirate must confine you to your home.” The sources specify that he insults and humiliates bank employees on a daily basis, and no one is held accountable in this regard.
These sources add that Rahmatullah makes every effort to ensure that everyone in the institution, from senior positions to lower-level staff, follows his orders, and if this does not occur, he plots against individuals and removes them. The sources also mention an individual named “Dr. Zulfiqar,” the head of the Sharia Department of the bank, who did not accept Mansour’s directives and, despite extensive work experience, was ultimately dismissed from the bank.
Additionally, an official letter from him has been obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily, showing that Mansour considers himself bound by the “Sharia Governance Framework” of the central bank under Taliban control and warns that no individual, including members of management and the board of directors, has the authority to issue orders to him. He has emphasized that he will continue his activities at the bank independently.
The letter states: “I hereby explicitly declare that in accordance with the National Sharia Governance Framework of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) and Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) standards, I carry out my duties strictly within the defined professional roles and responsibilities as a member of the Sharia Board. No individual, including members of management or the board of directors, has the authority to issue direct orders to me outside the approved governance and reporting framework. I am fully aware of my responsibilities and will continue my independent activities in a manner that ensures all legal requirements and professional standards are fully observed.”
Meanwhile, Mir Shekab Mir, the former head of financial services development at the central bank, says that relatives of central bank employees may work at other banks, provided that they are not subject to the conflict of interest law. For example, if the spouse or children of members of the central bank leadership, members of the High Council, or the head of banking supervision at the central bank are appointed as heads or in vital and key sections of a commercial bank, this would be legally problematic.
He adds that the leadership of the central bank also cannot introduce their direct relatives to commercial banks or interfere in their recruitment, because such actions are illegal, constitute interference in the affairs of commercial banks, and represent an abuse of the central bank’s authority. According to him, if first-degree relatives of officials responsible for banking supervision at the central bank are appointed to supervise a commercial bank, a conflict of interest arises. In such a situation, another individual without a conflict of interest must be appointed to that position.
The Afghanistan International Bank states on its website that the Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) has been the most trusted in Afghanistan since 2004 and provides secure and transparent banking services to individuals, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and government institutions. These services are aligned with international standards and contribute to growth, opportunity creation, and the expansion of financial inclusion.
This comes as the United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) previously reported that the bank is not independent from the Taliban administration and lacks “adequate measures” to combat money laundering and the “financing of terrorism.” The report states: “An assessment of the central bank of Afghanistan, conducted with United States financial support, shows that the bank does not possess the necessary independence and adequate measures against money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
زورگویی و تهدید؛ کارمندان بانک بینالمللی افغانستان توسط نماینده طالبان تحقیر میشوند
