Riyaz Patel
Sudan’s former President Omar al-Bashir, who ruled the country for almost 30 years, has arrived in the capital Khartoum as his corruption trial got underway.
The deposed leader faces charges related to “possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally.”
Prosecutors have also opened other criminal investigations against al-Bashir, including, charges of ‘money laundering,’ ‘financing terrorism’ and ‘ordering the killing of protesters’ – the latter is an offence that carries the death penalty in Sudan.
Al-Bashir’s trial comes against the backdrop of the country’s struggle to form a sovereign council, the first step after the landmark adoption of a transitional constitution, after Bashir was overthrown in April.
On Saturday, opposition leaders and the military signed a final power-sharing deal, paving the way for a transition to a civilian-led government.
Al-Bashir seized power in a military coup on June 30, 1989, and stayed in office until April 11, 2019, when he was overthrown and arrested by
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