Sudan court accepts corruption charges against al-Bashir

Omar al-Bashir
Omar al-Bashir

A Sudanese court said Saturday it acceptedprosecutors' corruption-related charges against autocratic former presidentOmar al-Bashir, who appeared in court in a cage for the third time this month.

Al-Bashir has been in custody since being ousted bythe military in April after months of mass protests against his three-decadeauthoritarian rule. The court was set to meet again in a week.

The court said following a statement from al-Bashirand testimony from other witnesses, that it accepted prosecutors' request totry the former ruler on charges of illegal possession of foreign currency.

Al-Bashir was accused of money laundering aftermillions of U.S. dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds were seized in his homeshortly after his ouster.

During Saturday's hearing, the former president saidhe received through his office manager $25 million from Saudi Arabia CrownPrince Mohammed Bin Salman.

"My office manager … had received a call fromPrince Mohammed bin Salman saying that he has a 'message' that will be sent ina private jet," he said.

Al-Bashir said the crown prince did not want toreveal that he was the source of the funds, and he hoped that the trial wouldn'tbe public.

"If we deposited the money in the central bankof the finance ministry, the source would have been identified," he toldthe court.

He said the money was being used for donations notfor his own benefit. At least $2 million dollars went to a military hospitaland $3 million to a Sudanese university, he said.

Al-Bashir said $5 million was given to the RapidSupport Forces, a paramilitary unit that grew out of the feared Janjaweedmilitias unleashed during the Darfur conflict in the 2000s.

The RSF is led by Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, knownas Hemedti, who is also a member of the newly appointed Sovereign Council thatis to rule Sudan during a three-year transition.

Protesters accuse the RSF of leading the crackdownagainst them that started with the brutal break-up of their sit-in camp inKhartoum earlier in June.

Al-Bashir did not provide documents or records forthe spending.

The court also rejected a request from al-Bashir'sdefense attorneys for his release on bail.

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