Bashir charged with illegal use of foreign funds

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s ousted president Omar al-Bashir was charged in court on Saturday with illegal acquisition and use of foreign funds, offences that could land him behind bars for more than a decade.Bashir, who was deposed in April following months of mass protests against his rule, appeared in court in a black metal cage wearing the country’s traditional white attire and turban.Judge Al-Sadiq Abdelrahman outlined the charges at what was the third session of the trial, saying cash in multiple currencies was uncovered at his home. Authorities had "seized 6.9 million euros, $351,770 and 5.7 million Sudanese pounds at (Bashir’s) home which he acquired and used illegally", said Abdelrahman.Speaking for the first time in court, 75-year-old Bashir said the seized funds were the remainder of the equivalent of $25 million that he had received from the Saudi crown prince. "My office manager... received a call from the office of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman saying he has a ‘message’ that will be sent on a private jet," Bashir told the court."We were told that the crown prince did not want his name to appear (linked to the transaction)... and if the funds were deposited with Sudan’s bank or the finance ministry, the source would have to be identified," he said.Dozens of Bashir’s relatives attended Saturday’s session, chanting "Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest)" as he entered the courtroom pointing his index finger to the sky. Bashir failed to specify when he received the funds, but said he accepted them as part of strategic relations with Saudi Arabia.He said the funds "were not used for private interests but as donations" to support individuals and entities including wheat import companies, a university and a hospital. Sudan has in recent years played a key role in supporting the regional interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, with Bashir overseeing a major foreign policy shift that saw Khartoum break its decades-old ties with Iran. His administration sided with Riyadh against Tehran in part by providing troops for the Saudi-led coalition fighting against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen’s ongoing war.

from The News International - World https://ift.tt/2LisClT