Myanmar: Anti-Corruption body charges Aung Suu Kyi & 3 others of multiple corruption cases

Cracking down on ex-State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the Myanmar junta govt's Anti-Corruption Commission has accused of illegally accepting $600,000 and seven visses of gold from former Yangon Chief Minister, according to The Global New Light of Myanmar. Apart from this case, the anti-corruption body has also accused Suu Kyi of misusing her authority and renting out a govt buidling to a foundation she headed, paid lower land leases for establishing her foundation's Horticulture vocational school to name a few. Apart from Suu Kyi, ex-chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, ex-deputy mayor U Ye Min Oo, ex-member of development committee Dr Myo Aung to have been booked under the same offences.

Suu Kyi booked under multiple corruption cases

As per Mayanmar daily The Global New Light, Kyi has been accused of:

• Illegally accepting $600,000 and seven visses of gold from the former Yangon Region Chief Minister
• Misusing authority in renting 1.86 acres of land in govt's Bahan Township to open Daw Khin Kyi Foundation headquarters, resulting in K5,200 million in losses
• Using 101.33 acres of land in Ottarathiri and 23.855 acres of land in Pobbathiri townships for establishing La Yaung Taw Horticulture Vocational School by paying lower land lease, resulting  K19 billion in losses
• Constructing residences for herself using cash contribution of the people

All case files were opened against the above-mentioned individuals yesterday at the respective township police stations on Wednesday.

Earlier, Aung San Suu Kyi and her Australian economic adviser Sean Turnell with charged with breaking Myanmar’s colonial-era official secrets law. Suu Kyi and three of her deposed cabinet ministers and a detained Australian economist, Sean Turnell, were charged in a Yangon court under the colonial-era law. Kyi and her supporters were previously charged for illegally importing six handheld radios and breaching coronavirus protocols, by the junta government. The military continues to crackdown against the nationwide protests demanding Suu Kyi's release, killing atleast 840 till date.

2021 coup

On February 1, the Myanmar military began detaining the democratically elected members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other members of the Parliament were detained by the military, who later declared an emergency for a year. After the coup, Myanmar Army's Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing took charge of the country. The coup occurred a day before Myanmar's newly elected members of Parliament were supposed to be sworn-in.

In 2015, the country's first election in decades were held where Aung San Suu Kyi won the polls, but military retained 25% of the seats in the parliament as per the constitution, which they helped draft in 2011. Prior to the 2020 election, Suu Kyi had promised to amend the constitution, saying the military representation in the parliament will be substantially reduced in the coming decade. After winning 396 out of 476 seats in parliament in 2020, the military levelled allegations of election fraud and irregularities as their justification for the detainment of leaders inspite of international observers certifying it as 'fair'.