Thierry Ehrman, Courtesy of Organ Music 2012
VERBATIM Top 8 Seriously Corrupt Citizens From embezzling funds to being responsible for large-scale massacres to moral turpitude, between them these baddies have done it all. Our editors bring to you, in no particular order, 8 of the worlds most depraved, dishonest and downright wicked people that the world has ever had the misfortune of encountering.
1 Jean-Claude Duvalier Also known as “Baby Doc”, Jean-Claude Duvalier became the President of Haiti at age 19. For nearly 15 years, he maintained a violent dictatorship, perpetrating numerous human rights abuses upon his own people. Throughout his time as leader, he embezzled government funds to support his extravagant lifestyle, while most of his country lived below the poverty line. He was so despised by his people that he was forced to flee Haiti in 1986, as has lived in exile ever since.
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2 Pol PoT Leader of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, from 1963-1977, he implemented agrarian socialism by force. In the four years that the Khmer rouge was in power it is estimated that between 1 - 3 million people died as a result of this policy, with the horrors of the “Killing Fields” and the Tuol Sleng prison-museum in Phnom Penh acting as a reminder of the tyranny of his totalitarian regime. 3 Kim Jong-un The dictator everyone loves to hate, Kim Jongun assumed office in 2011 following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il. Since then, the not-so dear leader has continued his father’s legacy of human rights violations and threats of nuclear warfare. In March of this year, the International Criminal Court called upon Kim Jong-un to answer allegations of crimes against humanity, including the torture and killing of hundreds of thousands of North Koreans in political prison camps. 4 HEINRICH HIMMLER Heinrich Himmler was one of the equally antiSemitic madmen with whom Hitler surrounded himself and as the Fruher’s second in command, Himmler wielded substantial influence and power. The head of the German Secret Police (the SS), Himmler inspected every single concentration camp, and was the leader of the most notorious of them all – Auschwitz-Birkenau. It is estimated between 1.1 – 1.5 million people were killed at this camp alone.
Xavier J Peg 2014
5 VLADIMIR PUTIN This macho leader is renowned for his diverse range of hobbies and interests, including race-car driving, hunting endangered animals, horse riding and flying military jets. With all these achievements under his belt, it’s easy to forget that he is responsible for the current war in Crimea, which has resulted in the deaths of numerous Ukrainians at the hands of Russian troops. Other accomplishments include enacting Russia’s anti-gay laws, banning swearing in literature and art, and jailing critics of his regime. 6 Pope Alexander VI Pope Alexander VI was a Holy Father in more ways than one. He kept many mistresses, with whom he fathered at least 12 children. Obviously afraid of how this might affect his role as Pope, Alexander hid and subsequently killed several of his illegitimate children. It was also rumored that he engaged in incest with a number of his children. 7 FERDINAND MARCOS Marcos was the tenth President of the Philippines and remains a figure that divided the nation. Amongst what some argue to be his significant political achievements, he embezzled between 5 - 10 billion dollars into foreign bank accounts for himself and his wife Imelda, funding her legendary shoe collection (of over 3,000 pairs!). 8 BOKO HARAM Though not technically an individual, we felt that Boko Haram deserved a mention on this list for their role in the kidnap and detention of over 300 Nigerian schoolgirls. The Islamist militant group also uses child soldiers and has claimed responsibility for numerous bombings and attacks on Western groups.