Malaysian military contractor sentenced to 15 years in US jail for bribery

MOSCOW: Malaysian military contractor Leonard Francis, also known as "Fat Leonard," one of the main defendants in the US Navy's worst-ever corruption scandal, has been sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment, the US Attorney's Office in Southern District of California said on Wednesday.

"Leonard Glenn Francis, mastermind of an unprecedented bribery and fraud scheme targeting the US Navy, was sentenced in federal court today to 180 months in prison and ordered to pay US$20 million in restitution to the Navy and a US$150,000 fine. Francis was also ordered to forfeit US$35 million in ill-gotten proceeds from his crimes," the statement read.

In December 2023, the US signed a deal with Venezuela on releasing six US citizens arrested in the Latin American country and extraditing Francis who had fled to Venezuela in September 2022 while on house arrest.

The 60-year-old, a Malaysian citizen residing in Singapore, was initially arrested in the US in 2013 on corruption charges. His company, Glenn Defence Marine Asia, gave millions of dollars in items of value and cash to US Navy personnel and command staff for advocating it during the procurement process and providing it with classified information. Francis pled guilty to all charges, including an escape attempt.

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI

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