Sudan changes version of events behind arrest of opposition figures

February 8, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A senior official in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) claimed today that three figures recently arrested by authorities were connected to the formation of secret cells that planned to sabotage the upcoming elections.

Farouk Abu-Essa who chairs the opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) and Amin Mekki Medani who heads the alliance of the Sudanese Civil Society Organisations have been detained since December after being signatories to the “Sudan Call” accord with the rebel umbrella Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) in Addis Ababa.

The security services also detained a former NCP member from the Blue Nile state, Farah Agar, and his office manager, Mohamed Eldoud for meeting with the rebel groups on the sidelines of peace talks in Addis Ababa.

But the head of the political sector at the NCP Mustafa Osman Ismail said at a press conference on Monday that the three men were part of a plot orchestrated by the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) to disrupt the general elections scheduled for next April.

“Some believed that they were arrested for signing the Sudan Call and this is not true, because there are others who have signed it with them and were not arrested,” Ismail said.

He said that the scheme was intended to force citizens in all localities not to vote adding that this is a violation of the electoral law, stressing that the government will not allow it even though it does not mind calls for boycott by peaceful means.

But the defence team of Abu-Essa and Medani dismissed the claims raised by Ismail stressing that their clients face charges related to the signing of the ” Sudan Call”.

Lawyer Moiz Hadra said that the state security prosecution has not filed any charges against the defendants related to sabotage of the elections and that all investigations with the two men were related to the accord.

He warned that Ismail’s remarks are punishable by law as they influence the course of justice adding that once his statements are verified they intend to file a complaint.

“As long as the complaint is before the prosecutor no one is allowed to make those kinds of comments unless he has authority above that of the prosecution,” Hadra said.

Ismail said the case is taking its legal course and pointed out that the security apparatus turned over the case to the prosecution and that if the latter is satisfied with the evidence then it will refer it to court.

Sudan Tribune has learnt that Kober prison authorities transferred Medani to hospital after his health deteriorated while Abu-Essa remains in a police-affiliated hospital.

(ST)