- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Messages
- 7,177
- Points
- 48
A gregarious Ma**laysian defence contractor, known as "Big Brother" due to his size, is in the news because of alleged corrupt practices with his United States Navy accomplices.
Leonard Glenn Francis, or "Fat Leonard" as he is known in military circles, has pleaded not guilty in a San Diego court over a shocking corruption case that squeezed millions out of the Pentagon.
Described as "larger than life", the father of five has been given the nickname because he weighs 159kg.
Francis, 58, is known for his extravagance and has a 6,503sqm bungalow in Singapore, which is famous for its lavish Christmas light-ups.
He was arrested on Sept 16 in San Diego while on a business trip and subsequently charged with defrauding the US Navy.
His accomplice, Navy commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 46, whom Francis calls "Little Brother" or "Little Bro", is alleged to have passed him confidential information on the US fleet's routes.
The information was given to Francis' Singapore-based company Glenn Defence Marine Asia Ltd (GDMA), described on its website as "one of the most trusted brands in the provision of maritime support, notably to the navies of the world".
According to the AP newswire, Francis used prostitutes, luxury hotels, money and tickets to a Lady Gaga concert to "hook" Misiewicz.
They then worked together to move Navy vessels "like chess pieces" to selected ports such as Port Klang and Phuket where he could inflate maintenance and resupply costs by millions of dollars.
"The firm overcharged the Navy millions for fuel, food and other services it provided, and invented tariffs by using phony port authorities, the prosecution alleges," said the report.
Misiewicz is no stranger to attention either.
Adopted by an American woman, he made headlines when he returned to his native Cambodia as a US naval commander in 2010.
Two others have been arrested - GDMA's global government contracts general manager Alex Wisidagama and senior Navy investigator John Beliveau II.
All pleaded not guilty in the federal court case, and face up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery. A hearing on Friday could set a trial date.
It is still unclear how wide the scale of corruption extends but court papers said that other unnamed Navy personnel have received gifts from Francis.
