Maimane lays criminal charges over Sudan's Al-Bashir

24 February 2017 - 16:26 By TMG Digital
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Mmusi Maimane arrived the Cape Town Central Police Station to lay charges against several members of Cabinet‚ the SAPS‚ Hawks‚ the National Prosecuting Authority and senior government officials Omar al-Bashir‚ to flee the country.
Mmusi Maimane arrived the Cape Town Central Police Station to lay charges against several members of Cabinet‚ the SAPS‚ Hawks‚ the National Prosecuting Authority and senior government officials Omar al-Bashir‚ to flee the country.
Image: Ruvan Boshoff, The Times

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane has opened a criminal case against two government ministers for their role in the Omar al-Bashir saga.

The president of Sudan stands accused of crimes against humanity and as a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC)‚ South Africa was obliged to arrest him when he arrived in the country in 2015 for the African Union summit.

Instead‚ al-Bashir was assisted by the government to leave the country. A judge later ruled that South Africa was obliged to arrest the Sudanese president. The Supreme Court of Appeal confirmed the country’s duty to make the arrest

Ruvan Boshoff, The Times

Mmusi Maimane arrived the Cape Town Central Police Station. Photo: Ruvan Boshoff, The Times

Maimane has laid charges against Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba and International Relations Minister Nkoana Maite-Mashabane.

He also opened cases against Hawks head‚ Berning Ntlemeza and Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni.

Following‚ the South African government issued a notice that it would pull out of the ICC.

Said Maimane: “We hold a view that nobody can … assist a criminal to leave South Africa. It was a departure from human rights‚ it is in its fundamental place‚ a betrayal of Africans who lost their lives and the South African government must account in that regard.”

He expects the National Prosecuting Authority to contact him.

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