Yahya Jammeh, Sani Abacha and 8 other leaders accused of robbing their countries blind ~ Zeniths Blog

Yahya Jammeh, Sani Abacha and 8 other leaders accused of robbing their countries blind

When the Gambia impasse threatened to lead to disaster, ECOWAS troops rallied to the aid of the country. When Yahya Jammeh eventually stepped down, it led to a breath of relief throughout the continent.

However, the news that over $11million has been declared missing from The Gambia’s treasury as the ex-leader went into exile has thrown the country into confusion.

Yahya Jammeh is not the first leader to be accused of such, below is a list of leaders who have been accused of looting their country’s coffers:

1. Yahya Jammeh

Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia

As we earlier said, more than $11 million is reportedly missing from The Gambia’s state coffers following the departure of long-time leader Yahya Jammeh.

Mr Jammeh, is thought to now be in Equatorial Guinea.

2. Sani Abacha

Sani Abacha of Nigeria

Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, and according to various reports, he looted somewhere between $1 billion and $5 billion from the country’s coffers using fake funding requests.

The US Justice Department as at 2014, said it had frozen more than $450 million of Abacha’s stolen assets.

3. Muhammad Suharto

Muhammad Suharto

Haji Muhammad Suharto, was Indonesia’s president from 1967 to 1998. He is alleged to have looted the country’s treasury up to about $35 billion.

He was placed under house arrest in 2000 and charged with the theft of $570 million via fake charities, but court doctors found him too ill to stand trial. He died in the same year.

READ ALSO: Gambia’s new president speaks on Jammeh’s exile, presidential term limit

4. Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan ruled Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He has now been accused of being involved in an arms deal procurement scandal.

The $2 billion arms deal is an arms procurement deal in Nigeria that resulted in the embezzlement of $2 billion through the office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Colonel Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser.

5. Mobutu Sese Seko

Mobutu Sese Seko

Mobutu Sese Seko ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo from 1965 to 1997. He has been accused of living in opulence at the expense of the country’s people.

He reportedly accumulated international properties including a 30-room mansion in Lausanne worth $5.5 million. He is suspected of stealing about $5 billion.

6. Ben

Ali

Ben Ali

Ben Ali ruled Tunisia from 1987-2011. After he was overthrown, he fled with his wife to Saudi Arabia but a Tunisian court sentenced them in their absence to 35 years in prison for embezzlement and misuse of public funds.

At his trial, the prosecution said $27 million in jewels and public money had been found at one of his mansions.

READ ALSO: Jammeh and 2 other African leaders who refused to hand over power

7. Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak ruled Egypt from 1981 to 2011. He was toppled by the 2011 uprising, and subsequently put on trial.

Mubarak was accused of embezzling funds meant for the renovation of presidential palaces to do up his personal properties.

Mubarak and his sons were found guilty of stealing more than $17 million over a period of eight years. He was sentenced to three years in prison while his sons, Gamal and Alaa, got four years each.

8. Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos ruled Phillipines from 1965 to 1986. He and his wife are especially remembered for the supposed 3,000 pairs of designer shoes accumulated.

Marcos is a symbol of corruption in the Phillipines and is suspected of stealing more than $10 billion from the country during his reign.

After his death a series of lawsuits forced the Swiss banks in which he stashed the cash to release nearly $700 million back to the Philippine authorities.

9. Ali Abdullah Saleh