This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On July 31, 2019, Sudan's ousted leader Omar al-Bashir was set to face trial on corruption charges, with his lawyer stating that the trial would begin on August 17.
According to Hashim al-Gaaly, Bashir's lawyer, the trial was initially scheduled to start on August 17, but Bashir failed to appear in court on August 14 due to security reasons.
"Today was the first session of his trial, but the authorities were unable to bring him due to security reasons, so the judge informed us that the trial will now start on August 17," Gaaly told AFP.
The charges against Bashir include possessing foreign currency, corruption, and receiving gifts illegally. One of the charges is related to approximately seven million euros, which were given as a grant by a donor and not included in the state budget.
On April 11, 2019, Bashir was ousted by the army after months of nationwide protests that erupted in December following his government's decision to triple the price of bread.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sudan's army ruler, said that more than $113 million worth of cash in three currencies had been seized from Bashir's residence, including seven million euros, $350,000, and five billion Sudanese pounds.
