Absolute power, corrupts absolutely. This couldn’t be more true from the ancient Romans to powerful figures even today. Corrupt politicians continuously find new ways to earn money through bribing and other unlawful means. Corruption eats at a country like a menace from the top to the bottom. The corruption of politicians can be one of the biggest reasons for the downfall of a country. This is so sad, but so true.

But who has taken corruption to a whole new level in the last 100 years? Well lets talk about the the 10 most corrupt politicians of the 21st century. Lets get started.
1. Suharto – President of Indonesia

Suharto certainly deserves to be at the top in this list of the most corrupt politicians. He was the president of Indonesia from 1967 to 1998. He was a veteran of the war of independence and became the army chief in 1965. He was against the pro-Chinese policies of the then President Sukarno. He crushed a coup in 1965 and then moved to replace Sukarno in 1967. The political parties were quite limited back then which led to him being reelected from 1973 to 1998.

Suharto and his family were accused of using power to enrich themselves and their families, gaining millions of dollars through exploiting charities, the embezzlement of funds and the kickbacks gained through different business contracts. The collapse of Indonesia’s economy and discontent from Suharto’s rule led to his resignation in 1998. He was placed under house arrest in 2000 after the revelation that he had embezzled about $5 to $10 billion in illegal funds.
These are the top ten most corrupt politicians in the 21st century. So, does the saying, absolute power, corrupts absolutely, ring true after reading this? Well, these politicians were absolutely corrupt and stole from the people that needed it most. They enriched their own lives by stealing from their own countrymen. They are a disgrace to humanity and no one should ever look up to these terrible human beings.
2. Ferdinand Marcos -President of Philippines

Ferdinand Marcos served as the president of Philippines from 1965 to 1986 before being thrown out of power. During his regime, the debt of his country rose from $1 billion to $25 billion dollars.

Reports claim that he stole about $5 billion to $10 billion from a U.S. treasury. He had illegally obtained all his wealth by taking over large private companies and receiving kickbacks from private firms. However, only $4 billion of his wealth has been recovered so far. He died in exile in Hawaii in 1989.
3. Mobutu Sese Seko – President of Congo

Mobutu Sese Seko served as the President of Congo from 1965 to 1997. While in office, he changed the name of Congo to Zaire in 1971. During his regime, he was accused of nepotism and extravagant shopping trips to Paris. Reports claim that he embezzled about $4 to $10 billion dollars.

The nation suffered from debt and inflation during his regime. The political parties opposed him, but he used brute force to prevent any change. In 1997, he was taken out of power by rebel forces. He is certainly one of the top corrupt politicians of the world.
4. Slobodan Milosevic – President of Serbia and Yugoslavia

Slobodan was quite a prominent political leader and president of both Serbia and Yugoslavia. He progressed in politics and became the president of Serbia in 1989. He supported the Serbian forces in Bosnia and Croatia and is widely blamed for the Serbs’ military aggression. He was barred from a third term as President, so he became the President of Yugoslavia.

In 2001, he was charged with bribery and embezzlement of funds and was presented to the tribunal of Hague which charged him. However, he died before his lengthy trial was concluded. He is accused of stealing about $3 billion of the government’s money.

https://tigblog.com.ng/2019/07/02/top-10-most-corrupt-politicians-of-the-21st-century-no-6-is-a-nigerian/

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