7 Most Corrupt Presidents In The World, One Of Them Is Indonesian Leaders

YOGYAKARTA - Corruption has become a serious problem that has occurred in many countries around the world. Corruption practices are not carried out by various groups, ranging from regional officials, company officials, to heads of state or presidents. There are some of the most corrupt presidents in the world.

Corruption practices carried out by state officials, including the President, not only destroy the country's economy but also undermine public confidence in the government. In history to date, several presidents have abused their power for personal gain.

Transparency International, an international organization that struggles to fight corruption, records data on the list of the most corrupt presidents of all time. So who are the most corrupt presidents in the world and what kind of corruption crimes have been committed?

The following is a list of the most corrupt presidents in the world published by Transparency International through the 2004 Global Corruption Report via Forbes:

Suharto is said to be one of the most corrupt presidents in the world. The former president of Indonesia has held leadership for more than three decades, from 1967 to 1998.

During his reign, Suharto was said to have amassed extraordinary wealth. He is considered to have committed corruption through the network of polarase and corruption involving family members and their crafts.

According to a Transparency International report, the 2nd President of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) is estimated to have embezzled between 15 and 35 billion US dollars from the state or around Rp231-539 trillion (exchange rate of Rp15,400).

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos is known as one of the most corrupt leaders in world history. The president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 and his wife took control of the country's wealth on a large scale during his term of office.

It is estimated that Marcos and his family dredged about 5 to 10 billion US dollars from the Philippine state treasury. Marcos' corruption ended when he was ousted from power through the People's Power Revolution in 1986.

Mobutu Sese Seko, leader of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) from 1965 to 1997, is also known as one of the most corrupt presidents in the world. For 32 years serving as the country's leader, Mobutu used abundant natural resources in his country to enrich himself and his crafts.

Mobutu is estimated to have embezzled between 5 and 15 billion US dollars from the state. His extraordinary wealth stems from the sale of natural resources, bribes, and embezzlement of public funds. The Mobutu regime finally collapsed in 1997 after an armed uprising led by Laurent-Deziré Kabila.

Another president who is also known to be the most corrupt is General Sani Abacha who led Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. During his brief reign, Abacha reportedly stole about USD 2 to 5 billion from the Nigerian state treasury.

Sabi Abacha is said to have used his power to enrich himself through embezzlement of public funds, bribes, and government contracts that were not transparent. After his death in 1998, the Nigerian government and international organizations sought to return most of Abacha's stolen wealth to the country.

Slobodan Milosevic is considered one of the most corrupt presidents in history. The former Serbian leader (1989-1997) and the Federal Republic of status (1997-2000) were arrested by authorities on charges of embezzlement of funds, corruption, and abuse of power resulting in state losses of up to 1 billion US dollars.

Jean-Ministryier, Haiti's 30th president (1971-1986), is known for her luxurious lifestyle. His wedding was even funded by US$3 million from the state budget. According to a report by Transparency International, the amount of money he allegedly embezzled ranged from US$300 to 800 million.

Alberto Fujimori served as the 90th president of Peru from 1990 to 2000. Despite having Japanese descent and being known for his success in stabilizing the country's economy, he is also suspected of having succeeded in enriching himself through corruption which reached 600 million US dollars.

That is the list of the most corrupt presidents in the world based on data from Transparency International. The 2nd President of Indonesia, Suharto, is listed as one of the most corrupt country leaders in the world who abused his power to make a fortune. Also read Suharto's memory step down May 21, 1998.

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