KUALA LUMPUR – Wanted Malaysian fugitive Leonard Glenn Francis is set to be extradited back to the United States following the country’s agreement to exchange prisoners with Venezuela.
According to AFP, citing the announcement by US President Joe Biden’s administration, the return of the fugitive defence contractor, better known as “Fat Leonard”, also comes with the release of 10 Americans currently imprisoned in Venezuela.
In exchange, the US freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman believed to be the former’s crony.
Penang-born Francis, who was the owner of a ship-servicing company, is a central character in one of the largest bribery scandals in Pentagon history.
He had been arrested by US authorities at a hotel in San Diego nearly a decade ago as part of a federal sting operation after being alleged to have bribed US Navy personnel with more than US$35 million (RM163.26 million) in booze, sex, lavish parties and other gifts.
Fat Leonard was due for sentencing in September 2022 when he made a sudden yet stunning escape after managing to remove his ankle monitor and escaping to Venezuela. He was subsequently arrested by the South American nation’s authorities after trying to board a flight from the country’s capital, Caracas, and has been under custody ever since.
The prisoner exchange deal represents the Biden administration’s boldest move yet to improve relations with the leftist-ruling Venezuela, a major oil-producing nation.
However, the exchange also incensed the Venezuelan opposition, given that Maduro has yet to level the playing field for the country’s 2024 election despite the US easing its sanctions in exchange for such liberties.
A November 30 deadline has passed, and so far, Maduro has failed to reverse a ban blocking his chief opponent, María Corina Machado, from running for office.
Biden had reportedly said Maduro appeared to be “keeping his commitment to a free election”.
Making this latest deal more palatable to the US was Venezuela’s willingness to return Francis. – December 21, 2023