Omar al-Bashir, the ousted dictator of Sudan, was given $90 million (£74 million) from senior Saudi royals before he was overthrown, investigators said at the start of his corruption trial.
Just four months after he was forced from the power, the 75-year-old former strongman sat in a metal cage as prosecutors of the state he once ruled levelled accusations against him.
The scene in the Khartoum courtroom illustrated how quickly Bashir had fallen, going from Sudan’s all-powerful leader of 30 years to a defendant in a simple white robe and turban.
Bashir is charged with illicit possession of foreign currency and accepting gifts through unofficial channels.
Ahmed Ali Mohamed, a police detective, told the court that Bashir had admitted to receiving $25 million from Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful crown prince of Saudi Arabia.
The detective said Bashir received another $65 million from former King Abdullah, who died in 2015. He said Bashir claimed to have given the money away in donations but gave no details.
When police raided Bashir’s home they reportedly found 6 million Euros in cash, along with $351,000 and around 5 million Sudanese pounds (£91,000).
Ahmed Ibrahim, Bashir’s lawyer, rejected the allegations against the former president and said it was not unusual for “anyone in his occupation to have foreign currency and it was in a room attached to his office in his presidential residence”.
“There is no information or evidence with regards to the accusations of illicit gains aimed at Bashir,” he added.
Testimony about the vast sums of money was closely followed in Sudan, where GDP per capita is only around $4,600.
Bashir spoke to confirm his name and age and laughed bitterly when asked about his home address.
“Formerly the airport district, at army headquarters but now Kobar prison,” he said, referring to a prison where he once jailed political opponents but is now himself a prisoner.
Several members of his family were allowed into the heavily-guarded courtroom and shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) as he was brought in. The ousted leader raised his hand in acknowledgement.
There was no immediate comment from the Saudi government on the claim that Saudi royals had given Bashir money. Saudi Arabia had been a staunch supporter of Bashir’s regime, even as it faced widespread protests that eventually led to his downfall.
During the revolution earlier this year, the US grew frustrated with Saudi Arabia’s support for Bashir, believing that Riyadh’s backing was emboldening the faltering dictator to use violence against civilian demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Sudan’s post-revolution politics continued to make halting progress towards civilian rule.
The military council which has been ruling the country since April signed a deal with protest leaders on Saturday to create a new body that would lead Sudan for the next three years until elections can be held.
The 11-member body, known as the sovereign council, will include five military officials and five civilians as well as an independent member.
However, the military said on Monday that the protesters had asked for a delay in the council’s announcement while they decided amongst themselves who would be their representatives.
The military strongly initially resisted any kind of power-sharing agreement but came under intense pressure from both the US and Gulf Arab states to reach an accommodation with the protesters.
A deal was reached after negotiations brokered by Ethiopia, the African Union, and Western states
- Raf Sanchez, The Telegraph, August 19, 2019