More than £100m in cash found at ousted Sudanese leader's home

Omar al-Bashir now under investigation for money laundering after hoard of US dollars, Euros and local currency discovered in suitcases

Ousted Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. (AFP/Getty Images)

Suitcases packed with more than £100m have been found by security services at the home of Sudan's ousted president, it has been reported.

Omar al-Bashir is now being investigated over alleged money laundering after the hoard of cash – in US dollars, euros and Sundanese pounds – was discovered while he was under house arrest.

He has since been transferred to capital Khartoum's notorious Kobar high-security prison, Reuters reports.

The revelation came as the new ruling military junta – led by army lieutenant general Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan – announced on Saturday that several senior members of Mr al-Bashir’s former ruling party had been arrested.

Among them were acting party head Ahmed Haroun, former first vice president Ali Osman Taha and former parliament speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Taher.

A committee to oversee investigations into government corruption and misuse of public money has also been set up, the new authority said.

Speaking about the accusations of money laundering against the country’s deposed leader, a judicial source told Reuters: “The chief public prosecutor... ordered the [former] president detained and quickly questioned in preparation to put him on trial."

He added: "The public prosecution will question the former president in Kobar.”

The 75-year-old – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court over allegations of genocide – was thrown out of office by the army nine days ago in a coup which followed months of popular protests against his 30-year rule.

The coup followed months of popular protests against his 30-year rule.

But the Sudanese Professionals' Association, which has led the street demonstrations, has now also called for the military to allow for a civilian government to take power.

The protesters say they will name members of a transitional authority on Sunday – although there is no sign the current junta will stand down.

Relatives of Mr al-Bashir, who have acted as his spokespeople since his removal last week, had not responded to requests for comment about the £100m by Saturday evening.

He himself had survived several armed rebellions, economic crises, and attempts by the West to turn him into a pariah during his three decade in power before he was toppled last week.