Should we pardon corrupt politicians? It backfired in Southeast Asia
February was a pretty good month for Southeast Asian politicians wanting to evade accountability.
On Feb. 2, Malaysia’s disgraced former prime minister, Najib Razak, learned that his 12-year prison sentence for corruption was being cut in half. Najib is now eligible for release in 2026 — in time for the next general election — after being convicted of one of the biggest financial thefts of the century involving billions of dollars missing from a state investment fund. Malaysians were understandably outraged, with one lawyer calling the decision a “slap in the face for justice”.
On Feb. 18, Thailand’s controversial deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released from a prison hospital where he was spending time on charges of corruption and abuse of power.… Seguir leyendo »