KUALA LUMPUR – Penangite Leonard Glenn Francis, better known as Fat Leonard, has reportedly requested asylum in Venezuela, according to the South American country’s media.
According to a report by Ultimas Noticias, a Venezuelan national news portal, citing judicial sources, said the 58-year-old had requested asylum during a court appearance in Caracas last Thursday.
During the same court appearance, Francis also divulged that he was suffering from stage four renal cancer.
Francis was supposedly being readied for extradition to the US. According to Interpol, he was believed to have been planning to flee to Russia.
On September 22, Francis was captured in Venezuela, two weeks after he cut off his GPS monitoring ankle bracelet and fled his home in San Diego.
His escape happened three weeks before he was supposed to be sentenced after pleading guilty to being involved in what is said to be the US Navy’s worst corruption scandal.
He could face up to 25 years in prison.
On September 16, it was reported that one of the five US Navy officers embroiled in the scandal – former rear admiral Bruce Loveless – is now off the hook after San Diego federal prosecutors dismissed his charges.
Besides accusations of being feted with expensive meals, luxury hotel rooms and entertainment by prostitutes that were paid for by Francis, prosecutors also claimed that the defendants had accepted bribes to provide Francis with classified information.
They were also accused of abusing their navy positions to ensure ships berthing at ports were serviced by Francis’ Singapore-based company, Glenn Defence Marine Asia.
The company allegedly overcharged the US Navy by more than US$35 million (RM147 million). – The Vibes, September 27, 2022
