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Politics

Ex-Sudan leader Bashir faces charges

June 17, 2019

Sudan's ousted President Omar al-Bashir was brought before a prosecutor to face corruption charges. It was the first time he has been seen in public since being toppled in an April coup.

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Sudan's ousted leader Omar al-Bashir
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Hjaj

Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was seen in public Sunday for the first time since the military toppled him a coup.

Bashir was taken from Kober prison in the capital Khartoum to the prosecutor's office to face corruptions charges.

Prosecutor Alaeddin Dafallah told reporters that the former strongman was facing charges of "possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally."

Bashir was ousted by the military in an April 11 coup following months of protests against rising prices and a weak economy that ultimately morphed into calls for his 30 year rule to end.

In May, he was charged with involvement in killing protesters and incitement to kill protesters.

A week after his ouster, the military and police said they had found more than $100 million (€89 million) in his home in US dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds.

Bashir came to power in a 1989 Islamist-backed coup.

The ruling military council has said they would not extradite Bashir to The Hague to face war crime allegations related to the civil war in Darfur.

Military leaders and the opposition movement that led the protests to topple Bashir have been locked in a dispute over a transition to civilian rule and democracy.

More than 100 protesters were killed earlier this month when soldiers and paramilitary groups cracked down on an opposition sit-in in front of the military headquarters in Khartoum.

cw/amp (AFP, AP)

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