Sudan’s judiciary probes misuse of public funds
January 13, 2023 (KHARTOUM) Sudan’s judiciary has opened an internal investigation concerning corruption charges under the guise of a training course for more than 20 judges in a Gulf state.
The investigation was decided after reports on social media on January 7, revealed the misuse of public funds through the organization of fake courses abroad.
According to claims, the judiciary gave the green light before contacting its counterpart in the Gulf state or the Sudanese embassy in that country to verify the identity of the institute and the seriousness of the course.
The presidency of the judiciary imposed an obligation of secrecy on the investigation and set up a committee to probe the irregularities that accompanied the organization of the course.
Sudan Tribune learned that the proposal for the course was made by one of the judges.
Multiple sources claimed that the judge received a commission to approve the course at a private and newly established institute in the capital of the Gulf state without observing the required procedures.
The delegation included a group of appeals judges.
The judiciary officials confirmed to Sudan Tribune that a committee has been formed to investigate the judge who proposed the session and the officials who approved it.
They further mentioned that the selection of trainees for such courses in the judicial authority is based on personal relationships.
A former member of the Empowerment Removal Committee who worked on the dismantlement of the judiciary confirmed to Sudan Tribune that the selection for the external courses is done through certain groups without following any regulation
“The course was fake. How a Supreme Court Judge or Appeal is trained. It’s a matter of petty cash and money. There is a group of the former regime that has been doing what they want, as they control everything and has not been dismantled,” he stressed.
He pointed out that only 17% or 15% of the judiciary staff members supporting the revolution, and the rest are “affiliated with the Islamic Movement and the dissolved National Congress Party.”
The leadership of the judiciary is accused of nominating certain judges even in the internal courses (English language – administration) to qualify only those who are affiliated with a certain political and tighten control over the judicial system.
The judiciary has an institute for the judiciary and legal sciences, which is tasked with training judges. The authority also signed cooperation agreements with several countries for training and sharing of experiences.
Article 83 of the Judicial Authority Law provides for the establishment of a technical body for training, and the set up of regulations and guidelines governing its activities.
In September 2021, the Empowerment Removal Committee tasked with the dismantling of the former Islamist regime dismissed 17 judges, including 7 Supreme Court judges and 5 appeals.
The sacked judges have been reinstated by the Supreme Court.
Several reinstated judges were part of the false training course also they got new vehicles after their restoration.
During a conference on the dismantlement of the Islamist regime held between 9-12 January, Ismail Al-Taj a Sudanese judge and leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change called to not involve the judiciary in the challenges against the decisions of the reformed ERC, according to the official news agency SUNA on January 10.
(ST)