Omar al Bashir: Sudan's ex-president convicted of corruption and money laundering
The 75-year-old, who ruled for 30 year, is sentenced to two years in a reform facility rather than a prison, due to his age.
Saturday 14 December 2019 11:22, UK
Omar al Bashir, the former president of Sudan, has been convicted of corruption and money laundering.
The 75-year-old has been sentenced to two years in a reform facility rather than a prison, on account of his age.
Al Bashir is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and genocide, linked to the bloody conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, which began in 2003.
Sudan's military toppled al Bashir in April following months of street protests against his three-decade authoritarian rule.
Sudan was also on a US blacklist for sponsoring terrorism, while the economy had been wrecked by years of mismanagement and American sanctions.
Al Bashir was charged earlier this year with money laundering, after millions of US dollars, euros and Sudanese pounds were seized in his home following his removal from office.
Dressed in traditional white robes and a turban, al Bashir watched silently from inside a metal defendant's cage while the judge read out the verdict.
Earlier, his supporters briefly disrupted the proceedings before being pushed out of the courtroom by security forces.
During his trial, al Bashir told the court he received through his office manager $25m (£19m) from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He said the crown prince did not want to reveal that he was the source of the funds, so he did not deposit the money in the country's central bank.
He claimed the money was being used for donations and not for his own benefit.
The corruption trial was separate from charges against al Bashir over the killing of protesters during the civil uprising.
Anti-government demonstrations first erupted last December over steep price rises and shortages, but soon developed into wider calls for the president to step down.
Security forces responded with a violent crackdown that left dozens dead in the months prior to his ousting.
The Sudanese military has said it would not extradite him to the ICC.
The country's military-civilian transitional government has so far not indicated whether they will hand him over to The Hague.
Al Bashir also faces questioning in Sudan over his role in the 1989 military coup that brought him to power.