Large Sums Of Cash Found In Al-Bashir’s Home – Report

A money laundering investigation has been launched in Sudan after large sums of cash in foreign and local currency was found in ousted leader Omar Al-Bashir’s home, Reuters reported on Saturday.

Quoting a judicial source, the news agency reported that Sudan’s public prosecutor is investigating al-Bashir on charges of money laundering and possession of large sums of foreign currency without legal grounds.

Al-Bashir’s fate has continued to look bleak since the military ousted him following protests by citizens who were disillusioned by his reign.

A source in his family told the AFP on Wednesday that he had been transferred to the Kober Prison in Khartoum.

Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes, but the military, which announced a two-year rule after toppling his government, said he would not be extradited.

Meanwhile, citizens have continued to protest, calling for the military to hand over power to civilians.

Protest leaders were to hold talks Saturday with the country’s military rulers who have so far resisted calls to transfer power to a civilian administration, leading figures in the protest movement said.

The talks come on the eve of the protest leaders’ planned announcement of a ruling civilian council that they say will replace the military body.

“The military council will hold talks with the Alliance for Freedom and Change at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT),” Siddiq Yousef, a senior member of the umbrella group leading the protest movement, told AFP.

Since the ouster of veteran president Omar al-Bashir by the army on April 11, Sudan has been ruled by a 10-member military council.

But protesters, who have camped outside the army headquarters in central Khartoum, demand that the council hand over power swiftly to a civilian body.

Another member of the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) that launched the initial campaign against Bashir confirmed that talks would take place on Saturday.

“Five representatives from the alliance will go today to the military council to discuss with them the transfer of power to civilian rule,” Ahmed al-Rabia told AFP.

He said if the military rulers refused to hand over power, then the protest leaders would go ahead with their planned announcement of a “sovereign civilian council” on Sunday.

“If they are willing to negotiate, then there is a chance that tomorrow’s announcement could be postponed,” Rabia said.

“What we want from them is a timetable to hand over power, so things don’t drag.”

He said that since the ouster of Bashir, the military council has held two rounds of talks with the protest leaders.

“During these talks we’ve felt that the military council has no desire to hand over power,” Rabia said.