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A retired Navy admiral and eight other current and former military officers were bribed with sex, trips and other lavish perks, according to an indictment unsealed in a burgeoning scandal involving a Malaysian defence contractor nicknamed Fat Leonard.
- US Navy was charged $200 million for work done by corrupt company
- Military officials charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud
- This is the latest indictment in lengthy "Fat Leonard" case
In return for the bribes, the officials are accused of sharing information on ship movements and sending ships to ports run by the contractor, whose real name is Leonard Francis.
Francis's company was contracted to clean, stock and refuel the Navy ships.
In 2015, Francis and the company pleaded guilty to bribing Navy officials over 10 years while billing the Navy $200 million for work in half a dozen ports, according to court documents.
As part of his guilty plea, Francis agreed to pay $35 million in restitution and cooperate with federal prosecutors in the probe.
Prosecutors claim that in 2007, Francis hosted a "raging multi-day party, with a rotating carousel of prostitutes in attendance, during which the conspirators drank all of the Perignon available at the Shangri-La" (hotel), running up a $50,000 bill.
This latest indictment is part of a long-running investigation and includes Retired Admiral Bruce Loveless, four captains and a commander, a lieutenant commander, a chief warrant officer and a Marine Corps colonel.
All are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud and face a maximum of 25 years in prison.
In the military, Loveless was responsible for collecting foreign intelligence for the Navy's Seventh Fleet, Patrick Hovakimian, an assistant US attorney, told the judge.
"Far from doing that, over the course of many years, this defendant participated in wild sex parties," Mr Hovakimian said.
"He has shown callous disregard for his duties."
Twenty-five people have been indicted in the case, including two of Francis' employees and a Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent who prosecutors say kept Francis informed about the investigation.
Admiral John Richardson, the Navy's top officer, vowed to repair damage caused by the scandal.
"This behaviour is inconsistent with our standards and the expectations the nation has for us as military professionals," he said.
"It damages the trust that the nation places in us, and is an embarrassment to the Navy."
To date, 13 current or former military officials have pleaded guilty, including another admiral who was sentenced in June and is believed to be the first active-duty Naval flag officer charged in federal court.
AP/Reuters
Topics: bribery, navy, united-states, malaysia