DA lays criminal charges for government-aided Al-Bashir escape
Note to Editors: The following remarks were made by DA Leader, Mmusi Maimane, outside the Cape Town Central Police Station today. The Leader laid criminal charges against several members of Cabinet, the SAPS, Hawks, the NPA and senior government officials for their unconstitutional actions in allowing warlord, Omar al-Bashir, to flee the country.
Today the Democratic Alliance (DA) lays criminal charges against members of Cabinet, the SAPS, Hawks, the NPA and senior government officials for contravening both the Rome Statute, as well as a High Court Order in aiding and abetting the prohibited escape of warlord Omar Al Bashir from South Africa in June of 2015.
In light of this week’s ruling confirming that the government’s notice of intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was unconstitutional, irrational and procedurally flawed, the DA believes that those complicit in the escape of Al-Bashir – in contravention of a court order and international law - ought to face the legal consequences.
At the time President Al Bashir landed on South African soil in June 2015, he was being sought by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and two separate warrants had been issued for his arrest - on the 4th of March 2009, and on the 12th of July 2010. South Africa, as a participating party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002, was obliged to arrest and detain President Al Bashir when he set foot on South African territory.
However, in contravention of the Rome Statute, as well a Court Interdict compelling the government to take all necessary steps to prevent President Al-Bashir from leaving the Republic of South Africa, he was allowed to leave the country on Monday, 15 June 2015, flying from the Waterkloof Air Base.