ALLEGED PRESIDENTIAL LOOTING IN SUDAN

Over $351 million (over N126bn) has been reportedly found at the residence of one of Africa’s former leaders, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who was overthrown in a military coup on April 11, 2019

A senior public prosecutor in Sudan, Mutasim Mahmoud, announced in a statement the seizure of $351 million, €6.7 million, and SDG 5 billion ($105million) at the residence of Al-Bashir.

According to AFP, Mahmoud revealed that the cash is secure within the vaults of the Bank of Sudan, and that charges would be filed against the former president under the foreign exchange and money laundering law.

It was also gathered that Bashir was under investigation and that prosecutors would “question the former president in Kobar prison”.

As president, al-Bashir often played up his humble beginnings as the child of a poor farming family in Hosh Bannaga, a small village consisting mainly of mud houses on the eastern bank of the Nile some 150km north of Khartoum, Al Jazeera said.

The former leader is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in the country’s Darfur region but the military which is in charge of the country has vowed not to extradite him.

Domestic and international pressure is still on the military to organise an election and hand over power to democratically elected leaders in the country.

For instance, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), which organised the protests that kicked al-Bashir out of power has expressed dissatisfaction with the military taking control of the country but the military council has resisted calls to hand over power to a civilian body.

While the African Union has threatened to expel Sudan if her military failed to return to civil rule within 15 days, SPA has equally vowed to stay on the streets until there is a move to democracy.