Sudan's ex-President Bashir charged with corruption

 Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was formally indicted on charges of possessing illicit foreign currency and corruption on Saturday after he admitted to receiving vast sums of money from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the media reported.

During his first questioning in court, Bashir admitted to having received $25 million from the Crown Prince as well as funds from other sources, but denied that he had used the money for his own benefit.

A lawyer for the former President said that his client denied the charges against him and that defence witnesses would testify in the next hearing, according to media reports.

The judge denied a request for bail and said a decision on the duration of Bashir's detention would be taken at the hearing on September 7.

Police Brigadier Ahmed Ali, a detective working on the case, told a Khartoum court in a hearing in August that Bashir said that over the years he had received $90 million in cash from Saudi rulers, including $25 million sent to him by Mohammad bin Salman "to be used outside of the state budget".

Bashir was deposed by the military in April after months of protests across the country. He was also charged in May with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters. 

He has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of "masterminding genocide" in Sudan's Darfur region.
IANS