Sudanese president pardons four government employees accused of espionage

August 31, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir has issued a presidential decree pardoning four people accused of spying including foreign ministry employees.
The pro-government Al-Sudani newspaper reported in its Saturday edition that the first suspect, Khalid Idris and the second suspect, Nawal Hasab Al-Rasool, are staff members in Sudan’s foreign ministry.

The third suspect, Adil Ahmed Ibrahim, is a journalist and director of Data Com media service centre. The fourth suspect, Ageb Al-Tayeb, is an employee at the Sudanese parliament.

Sudanese authorities detained the four suspects and later referred them to court, al-Sudani said.

According to charges brought to court, three of the convicts submitted reports and documents drawn from government meetings to Ibrahim who in turn sent them to intelligence agencies of two unnamed foreign countries.

No further details were provided on the case or how they were discovered. It is also not clear what prompted Bashir’s decision to offer them reprieve.

(ST)