More than £100m in cash found at ousted Sudanese leader’s home

Suitcases packed with more than £100m have been found by security services at the home of Sudan’s ousted president, it has been reported.

Omar al-Bashir is now being investigated over alleged money laundering after the hoard of cash – in US dollars, euros and Sundanese pounds – was discovered while he was under house arrest.

He has since been transferred to capital Khartoum’s notorious Kobar high-security prison, Reuters reports.

The revelation came as the new ruling military junta – led by army lieutenant general Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan – announced on Saturday that several senior members of Mr al-Bashir’s former ruling party had been arrested.

Among them were acting party head Ahmed Haroun, former first vice president Ali Osman Taha and former parliament speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Taher.

A committee to oversee investigations into government corruption and misuse of public money has also been set up, the new authority said.

Military HQ occupied by anti-government protesters in Sudan
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Speaking about the accusations of money laundering against the country’s deposed leader, a judicial source told Reuters: “The chief public prosecutor… ordered the [former] president detained and quickly questioned in preparation to put him on trial.”

He added: “The public prosecution will question the former president in Kobar.”

The 75-year-old – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of genocide – was thrown out of office by the army nine days ago in a coup which followed months of popular protests against his 30-year rule.

The coup followed months of popular protests against his 30-year rule.

But the Sudanese Professionals’ Association, which has led the street demonstrations, has now also called for the military to allow for a civilian government to take power.

The protesters say they will name members of a transitional authority on Sunday – although there is no sign the current junta will stand down.

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Relatives of Mr al-Bashir, who have acted as his spokespeople since his removal last week, had not responded to requests for comment about the £100m by Saturday evening.

He himself had survived several armed rebellions, economic crises, and attempts by the West to turn him into a pariah during his three decade in power before he was toppled last week.