Wikileaks: Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
December 18, 2010 (NAIROBI) – Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has squirreled away billions of dollars into personal bank accounts overseas, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) claimed – according to a leaked US report.
The ICC has issued two warrants for the arrest of Al-Bashir on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Sudan’s western region of Darfur, where a seven-year conflict between Al-Bashir’s regime and rebels fighting against perceived neglect of the region has killed 300,000 people and displaced more than 2 million, according to UN figures.
Al-Bashir denies the charges and denigrates them as a Western plot to overthrow him. The Sudanese government also maintains that the number of those who died in Darfur stands at only 10,000.
Confirming the information contained in the leaked cable, Ocampo told Reuters on Saturday that investigations carried out by his office had shown that Al-Bashir is holding a fortune of up to 9 billion US dollars.
“I am investigating the financial aspects and we have information about Bashir’s money. I can confirm that it is up to $9 billion,” Ocampo declared.
In the leaked cable, Ocampo told the US diplomats that exposing those accounts would turn the Sudanese public opinion against Al-Bashir, changing his image from “a crusader to that of a thief.”
The leaked cable quoted Ocampo as suggesting that the London-based Lloyd’s Bank “might be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money.”
Quoted by Reuters on Saturday, a spokesman for Loyds has strongly denied the prosecutor’s claims, stating the bank had no evidence of any connection with Al-Bashir and that it is the bank’s policy “to abide by the legal and regulatory obligations in all jurisdictions in which we operate.”
Ocampo himself on Saturday denied that Al-Bashir’s money was in the custody of Loyds Bank, saying that his leaked statements were based on the fact that the bank holds accounts of some Sudanese officials. “The money is not in Lloyds, the connection is that they (Lloyds) have some official accounts with the government of Sudan,” he told Reuters.
In January 2009, the bank was forced to forfeit 350 million US dollars to the US Administration to settle an investigation which proved that it had altered wire transfer information to enable clients from Sudan and Iran to do business transactions in the US banking system.
The leaked cable disclosed that Ocampo had urged the US administration and the international community to push for the arrest of Al-Bashir to isolate him.
According to the cable, the ICC prosecutor suggested that increasing pressure on Al-Bashir could spur power-hungry members of his own party to get rid of him, likening his situation to “a bleeding shark being surrounded by other sharks.”
In the leaked cable, Ocampo opined that reassuring China that its oil interests in Sudan would not be compromised by a potential successor of Al-Bashir could make it more open to his removal.
The leaked cable also cited thoughts by Ocampo that Al-Bashir was using expulsion of NGOs to deflect attention from his arrest warrant.
In the wake of issuing the first arrest warrant for him in March 2005, Al-Bashir responded by expelling 13 international NGOs, accusing them of spying for the court.
Sudan says accusations targets Al-Bashir’s image
Sudan has sought to discredit Ocamp’s accusations, saying that their aim is to tarnish Al-Bashir’s image among his countrymen.
The country’s official news agency SUNA quoted the minister of media Kamal Obaiyd as saying that the Wikileaks cable had debunked Ocampo and proved that he receives orders from politicians and had nothing to do with legal and professional manner.
He said that the amount of money he accused Al-Bashir of stealing is too huge to believe and that there is no such amount in the state’s coffers.
The minister also said that the cable had demonstrated the extent to which the US department of state and its collaborators in attempts to target the image of Sudan and President Al-Bashir.
Reuters quoted another Sudanese official as suggesting that it is impossible for Al-Bashir to hold bank accounts in a western country due to US economic sanctions.
“Sudan is heavily sanctioned. There is a lot of surveillance around Sudan. How could President Bashir put this amount in a Western bank?”
Sudan has been under US economic sanctions since 1997 over alleged human rights abuses and sponsorship of terrorism. The sanctions were tightened under President Bush administration in 2007 over the conflict in Darfur.
(ST)
$iong mayom
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
This idiot is the real definition of a DEVIL. He has massacred his own countrymen and in the process stole Billions of their dollars and watch them starve to death while stashing wealth in foreign Banks. Now We hope the Blind Northerners can finally open their eyes as Beshir is not only oppressing Southerners and Darfurians but is also siphoning away money that can be used to built schools,roads and hospitals. OMG Beshir you are a pathetic gutless dictator who has turned against his country and people. That money has to be frozen when the evil is finally caught and hanged.
$iong mayom
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
correction: “build schools” not “built”
Garang
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
The memory of Bashir turn from being a president to a thief where he decided to run with 12 billion dollars amount of money which a person who is concern for his country and his people can not put this money in his own pocket.
Shame on you Bashir,just surrender yourself to ICC for investigaion instead of corupting your own people properties which will later on bring bad name to your children and the children of your children in the country that you badly rule for two decade.
KERUBINO GARANG DENG
Sam.Eto
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
Why do you 2 believe Ocampo when the US did not? Do you think the US would not mention it if there was any truth to it! Ocampo is a mad man. He should be charged for false accusations! Like the article stated – Sudan is sanction, do you really think Bashir could transfer 9 billion dollars to Lloyds Bank in the UK. If it were a Swiss bank, Malaysian or even UAE maybe – But UK. How naive and gullible could you be – or is it your blind hatred for Northerners that makes you believe anything said about them and their president.
Bol Deng
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
He is a true president for Northerners( Arabs). Why do Mr Omer Bashier open his account in foreign bank account if those among belong to him. I think if this $ 9 billions are in Sudanese account, there would be no argument that those money belong to him because a lot of people noways have those kind of money in their personal account. But, the source might have a clue how and why the money are present in foreign bank account. This is a wolf situation. The whole of Africa are like this! A leader has wealth! a poor has none!
Aleu
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
This is why these African leaders were not supporting the ICC over Omar al Bashir’s case, because of such cultures corruption in Africa. Every leader in Africa is so corrupt and they don’t know this is the 21st century where by people have learn or want to know everything and I wish if all Sudanese are thinking like me then, we should immediately asking the Internation world Bankers to take these 9 billion back to the Sudan nation, because they are belonging to the country not single person like that indictment.
The late president of Congo did stolen about 8 billion dollars and the world asked his Son to rurned back those 8 billion to the country, because they were belong to the country Congo. Sudanese people should and must ask the International if there is real evidence for such among and I belief it is true.
Villageboy
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
This proves beyond reasonable doubt the fact that Louis Moreno Ocampo the Argentinean Jew is a mere agent of Western imperialistic interests! His highly “unprofessional” conduct betrays him! By simply analyzing Mr Ocampo’s appearance and listening to his speeches one will discover him to be a “half-baked” if not “quack” legal practitioner! There is nothing legal in what he vomits in the name of statements rather mere political verbatim. “Give the dog a bad name and hang him” the saying goes. It’s obvious that all crimes alleged to have been committed by El-Bashir are “fictitious” and are merely framed-up against His Excellency, to defame his character, implicate him and give room for a power change to a Zionist-friendly and puppet regime in Khartoum! Their plans are well known and they will always fail because power belongs to God, and it is He who gives and takes!
Ocampo in my opinion should be sued for “libel”, “slander” and “defamation of character” if he fails to prove his point against El-Bashir! His begging the USA, which doesn’t even recognize ICC, to support his smear campaign against El-Basir exposes the political aganda of the ICC.
The question is why must justice be selective? Why target only African leaders? Why not investigate war crimes in Vietnam, Iraq, Gaza? Are some above the law? Who can prosecute Bush? Two days ago, America’s former Vice-President Dick Cheney who was to appear before a Nigerian court for corruption charges has refused to appear before the court, and no one can challenge him!
And for those happy that a fellow African president is being persecuted and embarrassed by Ocampo, we shouldn’t forget that it’s just the beginning! Today Sudan’s President and Kenya’s Minister of Finance/Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta are targetted, tomorrow south-Sudan’s leaders will be dragged before the ICC by Ocampo that they embezzled funds meant for the South’s development and deposited in Western banks, and then we’ll understand that we have sold out ourselves as 21st slaves to Western imperialists!
James Garang
Sudan President stashed billions in secret bank accounts, says ICC prosecutor
I am really believed that Al Bashir is really stealing those money because he hope always on his arm because he think being a president there is nothing above his power. I thanks wikileak for that report.
President Omer Hassan Al Bashir is a brave man killing many people and is a man not worry about anythings in his life so for those depend him do you think that Al Bashir is a fear man? no is not a fear man even he took the hundreds thousands of Billion he will take them without fear because Omer does not have compassion for other in their life he just dealing with opressing other and take their right whether they want or not.
I think President Bashir want to run away from the country because of ICC that why he took huge amount of money outside the country for his safety in all his life.
Thanks be to Louis Moreno Ocampo please continue add other more against Bashir so that he will know the right of human being.