Arrest of Sudan’s political leaders is legally grounded: Burhan’s adviser says

February 10, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Tahir Abu Haja, Media Adviser of the Sovereign Council chair Thursday said that arrest of the members of the Empowerment Removal Committee (SRC) was not political but took place upon a legally grounded decision.

Sudanese security forces on Wednesday arrested a prominent member of the Committee Wagdi Salih and the former Cabinet Minister Khalid Omer Youssif.

Salih before his arrest said that the summon had been issued upon a lawsuit by the ministry of finance. But for Youssif still, it is not clear what triggered his arrest.

The measure taken against “some leaders of the suspended committee is an arrest warrant according to a lawsuit, not a detention” said Abu Haja in a statement released on Thursday.

Abu Haja further said he was surprised by the attempt made by some people to describe the arrest as political development.

He added that the Penal Code prohibits the release on bail in the case of breach of trust under Article 177-2.

He stressed that they can only be released after paying the full amount of public money taken in a report certified by the auditor general.

In a press conference held on Wednesday evening after their arrest, Yasir Arman a leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change said that the military rulers used legal cover to mask political detention.

The FFC leaders said the detention of the two political leaders would undermine the UN-facilitated process to end the current political crisis.

(ST)