Boris Johnson did prioritise animal charity for Afghan evacuation, MPs told
Committee hears from second whistleblower that civil servants may have ‘intentionally lied’
A second whistleblower has gone public to say it was “widespread knowledge” in government that Boris Johnson ordered the prioritisation of an animal charity based in Afghanistan for evacuation during the Taliban takeover last summer.
Josie Stewart, who worked in the Foreign Office for seven years, including a stint in the Kabul embassy, suggested senior civil servants in the department had lied to cover up the embarrassing episode.
She told parliament’s foreign affairs select affairs committee that the direction from the prime minister was evidenced in multiple messages on Teams, emails and in conversations around the crisis centre, which was set up to try to help the tens of thousands of desperate Afghans trying to flee.
Johnson has refuted that he had anything to do with the decision for the animal charity, Nowzad, to be allowed to evacuate staff and animals through Kabul airport.
But mounting evidence has suggested the prime minister did give a direct order for Nowzad to be prioritised, while many others – including Afghans who helped the British government – were left behind.
https://www.theguardian.com/politic...animal-charity-for-afghan-evacuation-mps-told
