Deposed President Omar Al Bashir Charged with Corruption

Former President Omar Al Bashir has been formally indicted on charges of possessing illicit foreign currency and corruption on Saturday, 31 August 2019.

Al Bashir, 75, denied the charges of corruption and money-laundering. The trial began on 19 August 2019 for corruption allegations. In April 2019, the Transitional Military Council (TMC) said more than USD113 million worth of cash in three currencies had been seized from Al Bashir’s house. He admitted to receiving the large sum of money but denied receiving or using the money for his own benefit.

The judge denied a request for bail and said a decision on the duration of Al Bashir’s detention would be taken at a hearing on 7 September 2019.

Al Bashir, who came into power in a military coup in 1989, was ousted in a military coup d’état on 11 April 2019, which brought the TMC to power. He has been detained at the presidential residence under heavy guard until 17 April when the TMC announced Al Bashir has been moved Kobar’s maximum security prison in Khartoum.

After the ousting of Al Bashir on 11 April 2019, formerly defense minister and an ally of Al Bashir, Ahmed Awad Ibn Auf, took power on 11 April as head of Sudan and the TMC but stepped down on 12 April after protests intensified and transferred power to the current head of TMC, Abdel Fattah Al Burhan.

A newly-established Sovereign Council now governs Sudan, comprising of 11 members including six civilians and five military men. Economist Abdalla Hamdok has been sworn in as the new prime minister, leading the country’s transitional cabinet, until democratic elections take place in 2022.

The Sovereign Council will be headed for 21 months by Al Burhan. A civilian leader appointed by the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) is to follow Al Burhan for the remaining 18 months.

General Mohammed Hamadan Dagalo (Hemedti), the former deputy head of TMC, was appointed to the council along with Yasser Atta, Ibrahim Gaber and Shams Al Din Kabashi.

Among the five civilian council members are Hassan Sheikh Idris Qadi, Al Siddiq Tawer Kafi, Mohammed Al Fekki Suleiman, Mohamed Osman Hassan Al Taayeshi, Ayesha Musa Saeed and Raja Nicola Issa Abdul-Masseh. 

The reactions

Great step. But he still needs to be charged for Darfur, for the brutal crackdowns on all protests during his reign, for the money he and his cronies siphoned off during the past 30 years etc the list of charges is endless #Sudan https://t.co/sBsCsmHcfv

— dalliasd (@dalliasd) August 31, 2019

How about the genocide in Darfur, Nuba mountains and South Sudan ,#albashir is responsible for all that .#justiceforsudan https://t.co/J6KNP0UMV9

— Mariam Ibraheem (@MariamIbraheem0) September 1, 2019

Omar al-Bashir, has been questioned by a judge for the first time in what was his third court appearance. He was formally charged with illicit enrichment (not of uranium) , corruption + dealing in foreign currency. His lawyer said that Bashir denied the charges

— will ross (@willintune) August 31, 2019

In #Sudan, a court has indicted Omar al-Bashir on #Corruption charges. What a shocker! On the @anticorruption Corruption Perceptions Index, Sudan ranks 172nd out of 180 countries. Al-Bashir robbed Sudan blind for decades. https://t.co/9EiSTan7PS

— Prof. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) August 31, 2019

You see why Albashir had to go and war broke out https://t.co/zHQqz3NI4z

— Khandani Msibi (@KhandaniM) August 31, 2019

Me watching Omer Albashir's court session: pic.twitter.com/V8pFY7ov2J

— sUlma (@sulma_kamel) August 31, 2019