Corruption survey singles out ex-leaders of Indonesia, Philippines, Congo

09:27 AM EST Mar 26
JANE WARDELL



LONDON (AP) - A global watchdog has identified what it said were the world's most corrupt former heads of government, singling out leaders of Indonesia, the Philippines and the former Zaire.

Determined to show the high cost of political embezzlement, Transparency International said that Suharto, Indonesia's president from 1967 to 1998, embezzled between $15 billion and $35 billion from a nation where the per capita gross domestic product is $695.

Former Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos was second on the list, the group said, for taking between $5 billion and $10 billion.

Third was Mobutu Sese Seko, the leader of Zaire, the African nation now known as Congo. Transparency International said he embezzled $5 billion

more
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040326/w032632.html

We are talking trillions of dollars missing from the US defense department alone! These two-bit dictators are merely taking lessons from the US.

when updated?

The other former leaders in the top 10 were: Sani Abacha of Nigeria; Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic; Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti; Alberto Fujimori of Peru; Pavlo Lazarenko of Ukraine; and Arnoldo Aleman of Nicaragua.

Interesting that the anti-neoliberals who lead or have led in Malaysia, Haiti, China, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Zimbabwe aren't on that list. Considering the shit they get, you'd think at least one might have made this list.

I guess doing what's right for your citizens is incompatible with taking huge bribes from private corporations. Well, at least taking bribes from big corporations can buy you some soft press in the corporate media.